Kyoto Municipal Museum of School History

This museum lets you learn about the history of education in Kyoto and the Bangumi Elementary Schools, the first elementary schools under Japan’s school district system, established in 1869 with donations from local residents who wanted to educate children.

It is located a 20 min. walk from the Hotel heading west along Matsubara-dori Street, a historic road linking Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Mibu, an area with many historic sites associated with the Shinsengumi.

A gate in the koraimon style erected in 1901 greets visitors to the Kyoto Municipal Museum of School History, and within visitors can learn about the Bangumi Elementary Schools, the first elementary schools in Japan under the school district system, the uniqueness of education in Kyoto, and the relationship between the schools and the community through teaching materials and tools, as well as arts and crafts donated to the school by alumni and others.

You can sit in wooden chairs that bring back memories of elementary school, watch nostalgic videos portraying the changing times, and view a wide variety of precious items bequeathed to Kyoto municipal schools, including displays of examples of school lunches in fondly remembered Alumite tableware, an early reed organ manufactured in Japan, an imported piano said to have cost enough to build 10 tenements at the time, and paintings and ceramics made by famous artists.

This museum offers enjoyment for all ages and the opportunity to discover the changes over time from the Meiji era to the Taisho and Showa eras, as well as the irreplaceable things passed from our forebears.

• Opening Hours
  9：00PM-5：00PM　*Admissions open until 4:30PM
• Admission Fee
  Adults: ¥300, Children (age 6-17): ¥150
  *The adult admission fee is subject to change during planned and special exhibitions.
• Time Required
  About 45 min.+ (Not including travel time)　　　　
• Days Closed
  Wednesdays (or the following day if a holiday), and December 28-January 4

*Images provided by Kyoto Municipal Museum of School History.