Can you imagine that the place where you used to study is now a place to play?
Recently, an aquarium in Murodo City, Kochi Prefecture, Japan, celebrated its fourth year of operation.
Unlike the conventional wisdom of a well-defined aquarium, with three steps to a pool and ten steps to a tank, the novelty is that its predecessor was not an aquarium at all, but rather a converted abandoned school.
Such an interesting change of pace has led many Japanese to embark on a curiosity hunt and come here to have a loving time. Even though this aquarium is deep in the mountains, there are no other attractions associated with it around.
In 2015, Shina Elementary School in Murodo City had to be abolished due to a decline in students, and the imagined bleakness and desolation did not come as expected.
Instead, after three years of renovation, it was reborn as "Murodo City Abandoned School Aquarium", which retains the overall look of the school, but also adds an oceanic flair to it, making for a great sense of surprise.
Here, the original school hours become business hours, and school hours become school hours accordingly, rather like a ritual that allows visitors to relive their youthful years while visiting.
Since it is a school transformed aquarium, there must be students. Attending school here are all kinds of fish as well as sea creatures, which are enrolled nearby and sent to school by the neighborhood and the Animal Protection Society.
The open-air swimming pool of the school, which was the place where the children had swimming lessons, is now a natural reservoir.
After modifications, it was divided into a large tank, and 19 tanks, large and small, which bring in seawater directly from the sea.
Turtles and fish live freely here, and sunbathing on a good day is a nice way to relax.
A group of sea creatures are now "occupying" what was once the territory of mankind, and the realism of having turtles and sharks right next to you is enough to make the kids clap their hands in amazement.
In the school's public **** pool, there are large lobsters and goldfish. Red and black sea turtles learn their lessons here.
Others are sharks such as hammerhead sharks and deep-sea creatures such as grouper. As is customary every year, you can meet a different fish transfer student each season.
As with all aquarium entrances and exits, the Murokazu Aquarium can get a little crowded during rush hour, but the service at the main entrance is friendly and welcoming.
Along the corridor, you'll find a long row of upper tanks, where small, flexible fish swim in small groups, with white lights shining through the water.
There's also a place for discarded skeletal specimens, and if you want to go to a particular exhibit, it will enthusiastically point you in the right direction.
"This way to the science classroom, let's go."
Entering the classroom, shrimp, crabs, conch, sea cucumbers are neatly placed on the podium, and the blackboard is written on the character of these small creatures, or gentle, or naughty.
Following the example of the daily duty system, the "sea cucumber" and "shrimp gentleman" two groups of students to be left to clean up today.
Visitors can touch crabs, starfish and other creatures that are less able to hurt people.
Aside from these obvious places, the rest of the aquarium is still full of detail.
Some of the jumping platforms used in gym class have been converted to hold various brochures.
Some of the designed as small fish tanks for goldfish, this bold experiment is a whimsical one.
Instead of tearing it down and rebuilding it, the school's medical equipment for resuscitating cardiac arrest patients has been transformed into a display case for marine life.
The nostalgic ancient projector, with its mottled surface and traces of age, was made into a water tank with a bit more technology.
Take a closer look, it's loaded with a large marsh shrimp pond, and the shrimp are lying down honestly.
The "students" need books for their lessons, and various guidebooks have now become the textbooks of the school.
The "Principal's Room" has also become the Curator's Room, according to the size of the hierarchy.
Such a remodeling, can not help but let a person straight to the "awesome!"
Beautifully refurbished, the tables and chairs are still the same as they were at the time, and the magical space evokes memories of many people's reading days.
Notice the handwritten text on the back wall?
That's sourced from the ground up, with ink taken from the bellies of fellow octopus students . Because of this, the octopuses were also well received by everyone.
Each classroom serves a different purpose, for example, this classroom is for various exhibitions, albums of themed activities, photographs, and so on.
The test bench in the Chemistry and Physics Laboratory has retained its original look, and with the lighting, all kinds of marine organisms are gathered here, just like a biological breeding base.
There is also a classroom dedicated to the display of fish skeleton specimens, in addition to some common fish and shrimp, you can also visit the deep-sea fish "lobster specimens" and "baleen whale specimens", a close look at Usually only in the illustrated photographs can see the precious specimens.
Whale bones are also randomly placed. There is no "no touching" sign, so put your hand gently on it, it is a bit smooth and warm.
The cabinet next to it is filled with sand from different beaches, as if you can smell the sea breeze when you see them.
Most of the 50 species and more than 1,000 kinds of sea creatures on display were caught in nets set up by local fishermen or by the staff themselves.
In order to give visitors to the aquarium a better experience, the museum also arranges for them to be instructed by fishermen on how to catch fish. Therefore, local fishing equipment and biological specimens are displayed in each classroom.
For example, these small turtles are neatly arranged on the display boards, like good students who listen carefully in class.
Looking at the familiar desks in the memory, these still retain the tools used in the school, with the years, become the deepest softness in the hearts of adults.
The xylophone used by the students in class that year also did not move, it was quietly placed there, the occasional visitor to the past to play a few times, outside the house is drizzling, the house resounded with the most skillful of the student era of the song.
Time passes quickly, a turn of the eye has been married and have children, the child has reached the age of school, take him to this round, but also a novelty of parent-child journey.
Close to the tank without a glass cover, feel the breathing of the turtles.
If you're spotted, he'll give you the "death stare" for a few seconds.
For the kids' amusement, carry the shell on your back. （
Many schools are organizing tours to bring kids into contact with marine life.
The old Shiina Elementary School was transformed into the "Murowa Abandoned School Aquarium," where people who used to study and interact with each other were reunited in a new form, and the once-abandoned school was once again filled with laughter.
Like all aquariums, Murowa Abandoned School Aquarium has a lot of souvenirs for visitors.
Though these peripherals may look a bit dorky and reluctant, officials feel that this is just right, and that it's normal for little guys from the big ocean to be a little snooty.
Slippers that make fish-shaped imprints might be a little childish for elementary school kids, but they're just right for adults.
As the reputation of the aquarium grew, so did the number of visitors.
The clever director of the aquarium seized the opportunity to sell some of the specialty rice balls.
Reasonable price, good taste, and can be used as a gift to bring friends and family, the effect is really not bad.
It's not uncommon to see abandoned schools like the old Shiina Elementary School in Murodo City transformed in Japan.
Like from 1997, Japan began to enter a society of fewer children, Japan due to the lack of students abandoned and had to be more and more schools.
Once these schools closed, they could not escape the fate of rotting year after year until they became ruins. Demolition can not be demolished, can not be used, to a certain extent, caused no small waste of resources.
In order to revitalize these abandoned schools, the Japanese government, business and private sector have opened their minds to a great extent, and have launched one battle after another to save the abandoned schools, converting them into anything.
One by one, the abandoned schools follow the tide of transformation, coupled with a variety of ideas to successfully transform the resources are not wasted, but also create economic benefits, two birds with one stone.
Ikushiri Junior High School in Higashi- Kyoto is one of them.
The school was declared obsolete in 2004, and after it was taken over by a private company, the old classrooms were converted into offices.
In addition to offices, there is a craft workshop, a grocery store, and occasional exhibitions of paintings and photographs.
With its soft lighting and artistic atmosphere, it's a happy place to work.
Wada Elementary School in Awa Ward, Chiba Prefecture, was abandoned in 2014, as was Ikushiri Middle School.
But in December 2015, it was renamed "Roadside Station" and became an inn. The gymnasium and classrooms were used as a restaurant for meals, and some classrooms were converted into lounges, even with hot tubs.
The old building of Yotsuya Oroku Elementary School in Shinjuku has been transformed into the Tokyo Toy Museum.
Volunteers and staff teach visitors how to play with the toys, and the joy of playing with the toys increases the bond between grandchildren and grandparents.
A netizen said she brought her 4-year-old daughter here to play, usually they lack of communication between mother and daughter, to see the child play here between the smile, she could not stop crying, is here to let their relationship gradually warmed up.
The Hayakawa Kita Middle School in Minamikoma-ku, Yamanashi has been converted into a hot spring facility.
In addition to the hot springs, there are a wealth of experience programs such as abundant nature picking tours and biological survey experiences, as well as being used for sports training and training camps, making it the perfect place to visit and relax.
Creative remodeling is a great way to think about how abandoned buildings can be revitalized with the skillful hands of designers.
Cases of abandoned schools being converted and used for community revitalization projects are common in Japanese localities out of a desire to "fill school buildings with memories" and "use them in a different way".
Just looking at the blackboards, hallways, desks, and other facilities that were once in use gives you a sense of nostalgia.
And different transformations of abandoned schools can bring us different novel experiences, we mean, let's have a few more surprises like this~