A former elementary school that has been reborn. Q1, a creative city communication and exchange hub

If you want to enjoy the autumn season in Yamagata City, you should visit Japan's No. 1 Imonikai Festival, which is famous nationwide. This year, the event will be held on Sunday, September 17th, and 30,000 servings (planned) of imoni will be served by Japan's largest hotpot, the third generation Nabetaro.

If you want to enjoy the fall of art and culture, why not visit "Yamagata Creative City Center Q1", which opened in September 2022?

In October 2017, Yamagata City became the first city in Japan to be certified as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the film field, and is attracting attention from around the world as a creative city with a variety of regional assets, including film, music, art, design, traditional crafts, and food culture.

Q1 is a renovated former school building of Yamagata City Daiichi Elementary School and is a communication and exchange base for "Creative City Yamagata." The tenant space, which is a former classroom, houses a general store, a cafe, offices, a gallery, and an open studio.

The stately building is also worth seeing. The old school building, built in 1927 (Showa 2), was the first school building in Yamagata Prefecture to be constructed of reinforced concrete, and its structure and design were the most advanced in Japan at the time. Even after its role as an elementary school ended, it has been carefully preserved, and due to its historical value, it has been recognized as a registered tangible cultural property by the country and a heritage of industrial modernization by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The Benihana Bunko and Cultural Properties Exhibition Room display educational materials and cultural properties that tell the history of Yamagata City, and also hold events such as marches and concerts. Admission is free, so feel free to stop by.