The building, originally known as Asahi Elementary School, opened its doors in 1975 with the purpose of consolidating three other local schools (Teimi, Fukuzumi & Daini), which had experienced a sharp decline in the number of students.

When Asahi Elementary first opened in 1975, 413 students were attending the school. By 1982 that number had dwindled to 60 and the decision was made to close the school and repurpose the building as public dormitory accommodation under the management a semi-public corporation – Yubari Kanko Kaihatsu, and the building became known as Family School Fureai.

In 2006 the company...Read More

The building, originally known as Asahi Elementary School, opened its doors in 1975 with the purpose of consolidating three other local schools (Teimi, Fukuzumi & Daini), which had experienced a sharp decline in the number of students.

When Asahi Elementary first opened in 1975, 413 students were attending the school. By 1982 that number had dwindled to 60 and the decision was made to close the school and repurpose the building as public dormitory accommodation under the management a semi-public corporation – Yubari Kanko Kaihatsu, and the building became known as Family School Fureai.

In 2006 the company became bankrupt, and the school closed its doors forever.

Today the school sits toward the northern end of Yubari, crumbling on the hillside.

The building has suffered structural damage in parts where water leaks and snow melt inside the building have caused wooden floors to become waterlogged.

What remains is heavily vandalised. Some of the rooms are full of domestic garbage. Attempts to start fires have been made in others, but strangely enough, unlike abandoned buildings in Australia, there is no graffiti apart from the kanji scrawled on chalkboards.

The building is now frequented by deer, foxes, and occasionally, people. Read less