FORMER SCHOOL TURNED INTO GLAMPING SITE

SHIZUOKA — A shuttered elementary school in Shizuoka Prefecture has been reborn as a glamping facility and is attracting numerous visitors to the area, both from within and outside the prefecture.

Shimada City Yui Elementary School, in Shimada in the prefecture, closed its gates in March 2021 due to such reasons as Japan’s declining birthrate. However, a er undergoing extensive renovations, it reopened this March as Glamping & Port Yui, o ering visitors the chance to enjoy highclass camping in modern facilities.

Located roughly between Tokyo and Nagoya, Glamping & Port Yui sits close to the Makinohara Plateau — one of the country’s largest tea-producing areas — and Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport.

e revamped site has 21 air-conditioned tents employing one of ve designs. Each tent can accommodate up to six people, and features an all-weather dining space and a relaxation area equipped with sofas and beds.

e former school building has been decked out with shower booths and restrooms. e principal’s o ce is now a bathroom, while the home economics classroom has been turned into a popcorn-making space.

e school gym remains a designated emergency evacuation center for local residents, but glampers are allowed to use it to play ball games.

e site also has an area set aside for local residents to sell agricultural products and hold exhibitions.

e school opened as a branch school in 1873, using a temple building to hold classes. During its 148-year history, more than 3,000 students graduated from the educational facility. However, in the year prior to its closure, it only had about 30 students.

A 38-year-old company employee visiting from Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, who stayed overnight with his wife and 3-year-old son, said: “We arrived late last night and I played with my son in the gym. It’s not possible to play with my kid at school, even in my hometown, so it was a very new experience for me.”

Kazuhiro Fukazawa, the president of Aiwa Connect, which operates the site, said: “I’ve heard that it’s quite di cult

for foreign tourists to look around regular Japanese schools, but it’s possible here at our glamping facility. Since the site is very close to Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport, I expect demand from overseas tourists to increase when the coronavirus pandemic ends.”

Glamping & Port Yui, built on the site of a former elementary school, is seen in Shimada, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Sept. 4.

A father and his child make popcorn in a former home economics classroom.

Visitors to Glamping & Port Yui enjoy swimming in the renovated former school pool. The pool was open until Sept. 30 this year.

A transparent tent in the center of the site serves as a self-service drink area at night.

Visitors play a piano that used to belong to the school.

Glampers play basketball in the former school’s gym.

Yomiuri Shimbun photos