As we covered in a recent article, there are stone monuments at the Naruo Branch Office marking the former sites of “Naruo Elementary School” and the “Naruo Village Office.”
Looking at them, I suddenly wondered: why were the former sites of the elementary school and the village office in the same place?
Were they both actually located here?
Or were only the stone monuments erected here? (It is quite common for monuments to be placed somewhere other than the original site.)
I was curious, so I decided to look into it.
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The Founding of “Naruo Elementary School”
After the Education System Order was issued in August 1872, Nishinomiya’s first elementary school, “Hamawaki Elementary School,” was founded soon after in December.
Then, in 1873, many elementary schools were founded in what is now Nishinomiya City. In Naruo Village, “Naruo Elementary School” was established, and in Ueda Shinden Village, “Ueda Suzaki Elementary School” was founded.
Ueda Suzaki Elementary School was merged with Naruo Elementary School (then called Naruo Jinjo Elementary School) in 1886, but a stone monument bearing the name Ueda Suzaki Elementary School still remains in Ueda Nakamachi today.
At the time the Education System Order was issued, many elementary schools seem to have been established inside temples and similar places. Naruo Elementary School was also initially founded with Saihoji Temple serving as its temporary school building.
This is Saihoji Temple today.
It now has a kindergarten attached to it.
The Relocation of “Naruo Elementary School”
The history of Naruo Village is recorded in “Naruo Sonshi” (History of Naruo Village), so I checked the chronology.
It says that Naruo Elementary School’s independent school building was completed in 1885. (It is written as “public building,” but this is probably a mistake for “school building.”)
The school building was completed that year on the site of today’s Naruo Branch Office, and the following year, in 1886, Naruo Elementary School and Ueda Suzaki Elementary School were likely merged and moved there.
Later, in 1930, the then mayor of Naruo Village, Han’emon Tatsuma, provided land, and Naruo Elementary School moved to its current location.
In fact, the gateposts from the former Naruo Elementary School, which stood there from 1885 to 1930, still remain today.
The gateposts of the former Naruo Elementary School have been reused as the gateposts of this “Nakatsu Cemetery.”
Looking at the back of the gatepost, “July 1931” is engraved on it, so the timing of the relocation matches the chronology as well.
The Establishment of Modern “Naruo Village”
In 1889, the municipal system was enacted, and Ueda Shinden Village, Komatsu Village, and Kosone Village were merged with Naruo Village to form the new Naruo Village.
The Completion of “Naruo Kaikan (Naruo Village Office)”
In 1931, the year after Naruo Elementary School moved to its current location, “Naruo Kaikan,” which later became the Naruo Village Office, was built on the former Naruo Elementary School site. (It is separate from the current “Naruo Kaikan.”)
However, as mentioned earlier, Naruo Village was established in 1889, so the village office should also have been created in 1889.
Where was the village office located from 1889 to 1930?
Unfortunately, there is no mention of it in “Naruo Sonshi,” and although I looked into other sources as well, I could not find the exact answer.
“Naruo Elementary School” Today
In 1951, Naruo Village was incorporated into Nishinomiya City, and Naruo Elementary School became “Nishinomiya Municipal Naruo Elementary School.”
This is Naruo Elementary School today.
The current school building was completed in 1991.
It is a very new and clean-looking school building.
In 2023, three years from now, it will celebrate its 150th anniversary, making it an elementary school with a long history.
