Ashikaga School 足利学校

Japan's oldest school

I'm on summer break from school, so I went to the oldest school in Japan, Ashikaga Gakko. When I paid my admission at the gate, the attendant greeted me with "Gonyuugakku omedetou gozaimasu!" Congratulations on admission to school! The attendant handed me an admission card and an English pamphlet. The library dating from 1912 has many display cases of documents hand-written by Aida Mitsuo, a poet and Ashikaga native. You'll see framed images of his poems here, too. It's a working library with a shelf of new books and historical records. The school has been carefully restored to resemble the peaceful and austere landscape and classic architecture that Edo-era students experienced. There are some hands-on experiences - a kanji lesson in the hall and the yuuza no ki, a device to demonstrate the value of moderation. A bucket is suspended on chains, slightly askew. When you fill it 80% with water from the basin, it's stable, but fill it a little more and it tips, and all is lost, demonstrating a Confucian principle. I highly recommend a visit to history buffs, samurai culture enthusiasts, and young learners in Japan's schools.