「日本一にっぽんいち長ながい校名こうめい」の学校がっこう 子こどもが減少げんしょう 来年らいねん度末どまつで閉校へいこうへ

The school, which is said to have the longest name in Japan and whose school district spans across Kochi and Ehime prefectures, will be temporarily closed at the end of this school year and permanently closed at the end of next school year due to a decrease in the number of children.

The Sasayama Elementary and Junior High Schools, whose school districts span Sukumo City in Kochi Prefecture and Ainan Town in Ehime Prefecture, are jointly operated by a union formed by both municipalities. Their official name, Kochi-ken Sukumo-shi Ehime-ken Minamiuwa-gun Ainan-cho Sasayama Elementary and Junior High School Union-run Sasayama Elementary and Junior High School, is said to be the longest school name in Japan.

According to the Ainan Town Board of Education, when the junior high school was established in 1949 and the elementary school three years later, there were times when more than 120 students attended each school.

However, the number of children and students has been decreasing year by year, and currently there are 3 elementary school students and 6 junior high school students. Of these, only 2 third-year junior high school students commute from the Kochi Prefecture side, and from next year onward, it is expected that only children from the Ehime Prefecture side will remain.

In response to requests from parents for a merger with another school in Ainan Town, the school management association discussed the matter and decided to suspend operations at the end of this academic year and officially close the school at the end of the next academic year.

Current students will commute to elementary and junior high schools in Ainan Town by school bus or other means from next year onward.

The Ainan Town Board of Education commented, It is sad that a school with the longest name in Japan and a long history will be closed, but we hope the children will carry on the regions traditional culture at the new school after the merger.