Yochisha — Printing Blocks on Reading Desks —

Printing blocks are embedded in the reading desks in the children's library.

Many of these printing blocks date back to the early Meiji era and were actually used to print works by Yukichi Fukuzawa, such as "Research Bulletin Kyurizukai" and "Keimo Tenarai no Fumi." I feel it is very characteristic of Yochisha that these blocks are not displayed in cases, but are placed so that they can be touched directly by hand. When children see them for the first time, they say things like "The characters are backwards" or "The characters are bumpy." From there, their interest and curiosity expand.

These reading desks were created to commemorate the relocation of Yochisha from Mita to Hiroo in 1937. The desks themselves utilize plywood technology, which was groundbreaking at the time. Yochisha students who want to read or study quietly still come to use them today.