“What does sakai shoritsu shogyo koto gakko mean to you?” someone asks. It is Sakai Municipal Commercial High School. This school once stood here.
Let’s take a journey back. The school played a significant role in Sakai’s educational history. Sakai Municipal Commercial High School was a public commercial high school. It was in Sakai City Osaka.
The school’s story began in 1921. A local merchant named Yosaburo Akatsuka left money to Sakai City. He wanted it used for a commercial school. Sakai City used this donation. They established a five-year commercial school. Sakai Municipal Sakai Commercial School opened on April 1 1921.
Initially classes were held in a temporary building. It was at the former Sakai Municipal Higher Elementary School. A new school building was completed in 1923. It was in Hanaga丘cho Sakai. Tragedy struck in 1930. A fire destroyed the school building. Classes were held in temporary locations again. The school moved to a warehouse. A new school building was rebuilt in 1931.
In 1940 Sakai Municipal Second Commercial School opened. It offered night classes. This was an annex to Sakai Commercial School. Enrollment stopped in 1942. Educational reforms in 1948 changed the school’s name. It became Sakai Municipal Commercial High School. Both day and night classes were offered.
During this time securing school buildings was a challenge. A policy emerged. It prioritized compulsory education. High school buildings were repurposed. They became new junior high school buildings. In 1948 the school building in Hanaga丘cho was used. It housed Sakai Municipal First Junior High School. Sakai Commercial High School moved. It was temporarily located within other institutions.
In 1950 Sakai First Junior High School moved. It established its own independent building. Sakai Commercial High School returned. It was back to its Hanaga丘cho location. Also in 1950 the school became coeducational. It began accepting female students.
The night classes became independent in 1952. They formed Sakai Municipal Second Commercial High School.
In the 2000s there were plans to consolidate Sakai’s high schools. In 2008 Sakai Municipal Sakai High School opened. It was a result of merging four municipal high schools. Sakai Municipal Commercial High School stopped admissions in 2008. The school’s educational practices continued. They became part of Sakai High School’s management creation program. The last students graduated in March 2010. The school closed its doors.
Today the former site is now part of Kansai University Sakai Campus.
Sakai Municipal Commercial High School had a bias value of 43. Many clubs were available. This included baseball volleyball basketball and tennis. This school helped shape many young lives. It prepared them for the world of commerce. Its legacy lives on.