AIZU-WAKAMATSU, Fukushima － Aizu Technical High School in Aizu-Wakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, launched a project to build a teahouse for traditional tea ceremonies in the school's courtyard. Students from all four departments of the school are collaborating on the project.
　Students will make use of the skills they have acquired from their courses. For instance, the architecture interior department takes charge of construction work, while the ceramic chemistry department is responsible for producing decorative tiles for interior walls.
　According to the school, it is the first endeavor among technical high schools in the prefecture where all departments are working together for a project.

　会津工業高校は全４学科が連携し、同校中庭に茶室を造る取り組みに乗り出した。建築インテリア科が建築工事、セラミック化学科が内壁装飾用タイルの製作を担当するなど、各学科の学習内容を生かして作業を進め、秋の完成を目指す。同校によると、全学科が力を合わせて一つの物を完成させるのは県内の工業高校で初めての試み。

　The school chose the teahouse for the project to create something rooted in the local community: Aizu-Wakamatsu city is home to the historic Rinkaku teahouse in Tsurugajo Castle Park.
　The teahouse under construction is named Kakushoan, which literally means "flying crane arbor," in reference to the crane in the school's emblem, combined with the hope that students would "fly" out into the world.

　同校によると、会津若松市の鶴ケ城公園に茶室「麟閣」があることから、地域に根差したものを造ろうと茶室を題材に選んだ。茶室の名前は「鶴翔庵」。校章に描かれている鶴にちなみ、生徒に世界へ羽ばたいてほしいとの願いを込めて名付けた。

　The teahouse will be a one-story wooden structure with a floor space of about five square meters. The school plans to unveil it to the public at its school festival in autumn. It is expected to be used by members of the school's tea ceremony club.
　Students from all four departments have volunteered to participate in the construction work. Those from the machine department are producing signboards and tea kettles, while the electrical information department is supplying electricity with solar panels and the wiring for indoor lighting. The architecture interior department is arranging the stepping stones to be placed around the teahouse, and the ceramic chemistry department will produce tea utensils.

　木造平屋で、床面積は約５平方メートル。秋の公開文化祭でお披露目する予定だ。茶道部の生徒らの利用を想定しているという。
　建設作業には４学科から希望者が参加。機械科が看板や茶釜の製作、電気情報科が太陽光パネルによる電源供給や室内照明の配線などを手がける。建築インテリア科は茶室周辺に置く飛び石、セラミック化学科は茶器の製作も担う。

　"This is the first time we're collaborating with students from other departments, and I'm so excited," said Ryuki Miura, a third-year student in the architecture interior department. "I'd like to complete something we can be proud of so that it'll be a successful example of collaborative learning."

　建築インテリア科の三浦龍希さん（３年）は「ほかの学科と連携するのは初めてで、わくわくする。連携学習の成功例になるよう、しっかり完成させたい」と話す。

　When the ridgepole-raising ceremony was held on Dec. 4 at the construction site, students performed a ritual prayer and scattered sweets to wish for the safe completion of the teahouse.
　"I hope you will learn things that you cannot learn in regular classes," school principal Yoshinori Matsumoto told the student

（　Translated by The Japan News　）

　上棟式が12月４日、現地で行われ、生徒が祝詞奏上や菓子まきなどをして、茶室が無事に完成するよう願った。
　松本善法校長は「通常の授業では学べないことを学んでほしい」と呼びかけた。

　【　２０２３年１２月５日付・福島民友新聞掲載　】