市立玉川小学校

Did the name Tamagawa Elementary School always grace this building? No. Let’s step back to 1889, when Fukuoka city itself was just born from the union of Fukuoka and Hakata. Here, near the border of the former villages of Sangen and Yagen, the need for a school echoed through the newly formed community. In 1889, a request for a school resonated from the combined voices of Sangen, Mukaino, and Shimizu, along with the voices of Yagen, Jiin, and Wakaku from the former Hakata village. They petitioned the mayor for a new school, a beacon of knowledge in their growing city. Debate swirled around the school’s name. Sangen Elementary was proposed, reflecting the location. But the school grounds spanned both former villages, causing disagreement. Finally, a compromise emerged. A symbolic bridge, the Tamabashi, arched over the Tamagawa River, connecting the two areas. This bridge, described as “more graceful than a rainbow, spanning over the Tamagawa”, inspired the name: Tamagawa Elementary School. The school opened its doors in 1924 as a branch of Fukuoka City High School. The bridge’s name, tied to local legend, whispered of a place called Tamagawa, “where the deity dwells, where Tamabashi, the jewel bridge, gracefully spans over the cascading waters”. This jewel bridge, Tamabashi, became more than just a crossing. It became the heart of the school’s identity, a testament to the unity forged between two villages, now woven together within the fabric of Fukuoka city. So, as you stand before Tamagawa Elementary, remember the bridge that lent its name, a symbol of connection and a reflection of the community it serves.