Hakata Culture vol.193

A New Landmark that Carries on the History of Daimyo

　

Fukuoka is set to get a new landmark this spring with the opening of Fukuoka Daimyo Garden City. Prior to its full opening in April, the central plaza opened to the public on January 20. In addition to playground equipment modeled after a koma-inu (the dog-like guardians of Shinto shrines), the plaza also has a stage that can be used for events. A ceremony was held to celebrate the opening, and it is fast becoming a popular place for local children to play.

The facility is on the site of the former Daimyo Elementary School, which was one of the oldest elementary schools in Fukuoka City. The school opened in 1873, and its rolls grew as the city of Fukuoka developed. The school building, which still remains in one corner, is a reinforced concrete structure that was built in 1929. It currently houses a start-up support center and retains many vestiges of its past, including a large central staircase that gives the building a retro atmosphere.

As the number of children in the area continued to increase, the school was divided and a new school, Sunoko Elementary School, was opened in 1912. The school was further divided again with the opening of Akasaka Elementary School in 1953 and Maizuru Elementary School in 1960. The development of the region was so remarkable that new elementary schools had to be built one after another due to the concentration of people living in the city center. For some local residents, three or four generations of their families all attended Daimyo Elementary School.

With the passage of time, the population of Fukuoka's urban center has declined. Due to falling enrollment, Daimyo Elementary School closed its doors in 2014. In line with this, the former splinter schools of Sunoko Elementary School and Maizuru Elementary School were merged along with Maizuru Junior High School, and the City built a new building for the combined Maizuru Elementary and Junior High School. Shopping facilities and a hotel will also open on the site of the former Daimyo Elementary School in the near future. The new Daimyo Garden City is expected to facilitate community interaction, and it will likely return to the bustling place it once was.

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大名の歴史を受け継ぐ新たなランドマーク

この春、福岡の新たなランドマークとしてオープンする「福岡大名ガーデンシティ」。4月からの本格オープンに先がけて、1月20日には施設中央に位置する広場がオープンしました。巨大なこま犬をモチーフにした遊具などがあり、イベントに利用できるステージも備えています。オープン記念の式典が開催され、すでに地域の子どもたちの遊び場になっています。

この地にあった大名小学校は、福岡市内でも最古の小学校のひとつでした。1873（明治6）年に開校し、福岡の街の発展とともに児童数が増えていきました。現在も一角に残る校舎は1929（昭和4）年に完成した鉄筋コンクリート造。レトロな雰囲気を感じさせる中央階段など、当時の面影をあちこちに残したまま、スタートアップ企業を支援する施設として現役で使われています。

児童数が増え続けた大名小学校は、1912（大正1）年に簀子小学校を分離します。さらに、1953（昭和28）年には赤坂小学校を分離、1960（昭和35）年には舞鶴小学校を分離しました。次々に新しい小学校をつくらないといけないほど地域の発展は目覚ましく、都心には多くの人が住んでいました。大名小学校には3世代や４世代で通ったという住民もいます。

時代の流れとともに福岡の都心部では人口が減少。児童数が減った大名小学校は2014（平成26）年に閉校します。かつて分離した簀子小学校、舞鶴小学校、さらに舞鶴中学校とも統合されて、福岡市立舞鶴小中学校として新校舎が建設されました。今後、大名小学校跡地には商業施設やホテルもオープンします。地域の交流場所として、かつてのように多くの人々で賑わうことでしょう。