Key Point: Octagonal Tower みどころ：八角塔屋

Official explanation

The staircase beyond this door leads up to the octagonal tower on the roof. The upper portion of each window in the tower is fitted with colored glass, much like the windows in the center of the lecture hall. The bell that hangs in the tower was rung to mark the start and end of each class. The tower’s ceiling was originally made from paper, like the ceilings in other parts of the building, but it was resurfaced with wooden planks soon after.

This type of rooftop tower was a common feature of Western-style buildings constructed early in the Meiji era (1868–1912). At that time, towers were considered a defining feature of Western architecture. Similar towers can be seen on the buildings of the former Yamabe School and the former Nakagomi School, both in Nagano Prefecture.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.