Kiyomizu Elementary School began with the 27th Shimogyo Elementary School, which opened in 1869. This elementary school also served as a gathering spot for local authorities and traditional communities over the years.
In 1933, Kiyomizu Elementary School was relocated to the new building that has now become The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu. At the time, construction trends for elementary in Japan were starting to forsake the traditional wooden buildings in favor of modern-looking reinforced concrete ones.

Among these, Kiyomizu Elementary School was known as unique for its location and super exterior and interior design.

The exterior design inherits the western design roots of its construction, with the outer walls of the south wing, where the hotel reception is located, decorated with exposed artificial stone and tiles, the top arched windows, the Spanish tiled parapet, the wooden corbels below it, and many more details.

Despite its characteristic appearance, it blends into the Higashiyama atmosphere, and is a crucial part of its beautiful landscape.

・A warm sense of exterior

The ocher-colored outer walls of the south wing are decorated with exposed artificial stone and tiles.

・Arched windows bordered with stone borders

The arched windows on top of the south wing building are one of the main features of its aesthetic. In the Showa era, arches were a common design element for elementary schools in Kyoto and throughout Japan.

・Spanish tiled roof

The parapet on the roof is covered in Spanish tiles, exemplifying the European influence on the building’s design.

・Wooden decorations

The Spanish tiled roof is supported by a set of beautiful wooden corbels. The east wing, around the opening of the uppermost portion of its outer walls, features wooden boards in a lattice pattern. These dark brown wooden accents further enhance the exterior’s uniqueness.