Iida Sozokan Hall closed
At the end of March, the Iida Sozokan Hall was closed.
I missed the opportunity to visit the hall while it was open, so I could not see the interior, but I visited because I wanted to see at least the exterior.
On the entrance, the words “Thank you for 45 years, March 31, 2020, Nagano Prefecture Iida Sozokan" is displayed.
Two panels were erected inside the entrance, and photos of the Iida Sozokan in the past were displayed.
The Iida Sozokan is a facility that Nagano Prefecture opened in 1979 to provide opportunities for residents to participate in artistic and cultural activities. It has been used as a venue for creative activities, training sessions, and exhibitions of various organizations.
However, in 2022, Nagano Prefecture planned to develop the Nanshin Driver’s License Center in Fuetsu Park along with the reconstruction of the Iida Police Station, and decided to close the Iida Sozokan.
There are also voices of opposition in the local area, for example, volunteer users have formed a group to support the Iida Sozokan and have been working to appeal for its survival. However, the association also disbanded in November 2024.
The exterior of the Iida Sozokan.
Actually, I didn’t know until now, but this entrance is on the third floor.
You can see a little handrail on the left side of the entrance.
You can’t see it from the picture, but there is a slope here, and the building is built on ground lower than the front of the entrance.
This is the slope. It’s not the width that cars can pass.
A photo taken looking back in the middle of the slope. The eaves that can be seen slightly above the center is the entrance.
On the wall below it, windows on the second and first floors can be seen.
This photo was taken when I went down the slope and looked back.
I think you can see that it’s a pretty steep slope.
The Nosoko River flows on the east side of the Sozokan, and the building stands in the location shown in the photo. The right end of the photo is the slope I came down.
The west side of the Sozokan is a terraced hill, and there is an elevation difference of a two-story building.
Cross the bridge and walk on the other side of the river to see the east side of the building.
The plan for the Sozokan was considered around 1975. It is said that they thought about providing a place to support the development of the region while supporting creative cultural activities carried out by the people of the prefecture with initiative from the side.
Based on the results of the survey, construction work began in Iida City in December 1978.
It is a four-story reinforced concrete building with a construction area of 365m2 and a total building area of 1520.85m2.
In fact, the Sozokan was later added from 1999 to 2000, so the area above is before the extension.
In the photo above, the three-story part on the right side is the part that was later added.
I crossed the river again and came near the building. This is the south side of the building.
It looks like a thinner building than I thought.
Stone walls are piled up to the height of the second floor of the building. Above this stone wall is Fuetsu Park, and the ground is connected to the entrance of the Sozokan.
The service entrance on the east side of the first floor.
Climb the slope again and shoot from the park side.
The demolition of this building has already been decided. Bidding for the removal of the building is scheduled to be held in early April, and the demolition is expected to begin around June.
After the closure of the Iida Sozokan, a cultural and artistic activity support center will be set up inside the Minami Shinshu Wide-Area Hall (former Local Industrial Promotion Center and former Industrial Technology Center) and adjacent building as facilities to support cultural and artistic activities. The support center is scheduled to be opened on May 1.
Finally, post a photo of the stone monument.
Before the Sozokan was built, Iida Fuetsu High School was located here. (Moved to the current school building in 1976.)
Iida Girls High School is one of the predecessors of Iida Fuetsu High School. The two old girls’ high schools were merged and became Iida Fuestu High School in 1949. The stone monument was erected by the high school alumni association in October 1977.