MEXT collects information on unused closed school facilities for which municipalities are seeking uses or users, at those municipalities' request, and publishes it in regional files. The list is updated monthly, and the version now posted is based on information as of 1 September 2026. The ministry notes that a listing may already have closed or its terms may have changed, and asks readers to contact the municipality's facilities desk directly for details.
This list is the first place to look for a closed school in Kanto. This article counts every closed school with a page in the two Kanto files (Kanto 1 for Ibaraki and Tochigi, Kanto 2 for Gunma, Saitama, Chiba and Tokyo), and sets out the number per prefecture, the form each call takes, and which listings state an amount or terms. Retrieved and counted on 18 September.
Closed schools with a page in the two Kanto files
55 listings
The version based on information as of 1 September 2026, retrieved on 18 September and counted for this article
Ibaraki, the largest
21 listings
Hitachiota 5, Hokota 4, Inashiki 4, Ibaraki Town 3, Chikusei 3, Ushiku 1, Omitama 1
Kanagawa
0 listings
The regional files have no section for Kanagawa at all. Tokyo has just one listing, in Adachi City
Listings by Prefecture
The 55 listings in the two Kanto files by prefecture and municipality, and the one page missing from the index
The list is split into twelve regional files, two of which cover Kanto: Kanto 1 for Ibaraki and Tochigi, and Kanto 2 for Gunma, Saitama, Chiba and Tokyo. Kanagawa has no section in any of the files.
| Prefecture | Listings | Municipalities (listings) |
|---|---|---|
| Ibaraki | 21 | Hitachiota 5, Hokota 4, Inashiki 4, Ibaraki Town 3, Chikusei 3, Ushiku 1, Omitama 1 |
| Tochigi | 12 | Sano 4, Yaita 2, Nikko 2, Moka 1, Otawara 1, Tochigi City 1, Nasushiobara 1 |
| Saitama | 12 | Satte 4, Ranzan 3, Hidaka 2, Hanno 2, Kamikawa 1 |
| Chiba | 6 | Katori 4, Kamogawa 1, Sanmu 1 |
| Gunma | 3 | Annaka 3 |
| Tokyo | 1 | Adachi City 1 |
| Kanagawa | 0 | No section in the list |
| Total | 55 | 24 municipalities |
What is counted is the pages in the regional files, one facility per page (retrieved on 18 September and counted for this article). One page has no entry in the index: 湯西川小中学校 in Nikko City, Tochigi, which is included in the twelve above.
Twenty-four municipalities in Kanto currently have a listing. Most put several closed schools out at once: Hitachiota 5, Sano 4, Satte 4, Katori 4, Inashiki 4 and Hokota 4, which is 25 of the 55 between those six alone.
Calls Come in Three Forms
Transferee, business proposals and ideas, and whether the call has opened
The what is sought column records the form the call takes. Reading the 55 Kanto listings, they fall into three groups: looking for a transferee, inviting business proposals, and still gathering ideas. Which one it is decides what you have to prepare and how long the decision takes.
| Form of call | Examples in Kanto | What you submit |
|---|---|---|
| Call for a transferee | Hitachiota's 5, 旧大貫小学校 and related property in Nasushiobara (public call for business proposals) | A proposal on the basis of buying |
| Call for business proposals, public proposal procedure | Ibaraki Town's 3, Annaka's 3, Hanno's 2, Hidaka's 2, Sano's 4, Adachi City | A business plan and a renovation plan |
| Ideas for use, market sounding | Katori's 4, Ranzan's 3, Yaita's 2, Inashiki's 4, Kamikawa, Kamogawa | Views before the terms are set |
Hokota City, Ibaraki, describes four schools including 旭東小学校 as a public call for business proposals, and states in the conditions column that the business must contribute to local revitalization and development, that land and buildings must be used together, that transfer is on an as-is basis, and that the conditions of the call are to be posted on its website. Inashiki City, Ibaraki, describes four schools including 浮島小学校 as a call for ideas for use, with conditions that the community must be able to accept it, that the use must suit the surroundings and contribute to the area, and that the business must be able to continue.
Even among calls for business proposals, whether the call has opened differs. Satte City, Saitama, writes for 権現堂川小学校 and 八代小学校 that proposals are sought, with a call expected to open in FY2027 or later, while Hidaka City, Saitama, writes for 旧武蔵台中学校 and 旧高根中学校 that a public proposal procedure for an operator opened on 1 July 2025. Chikusei City, Ibaraki, writes for three schools that the FY2025 general call for business proposals has closed and that future calls are undecided, and Ushiku City, Ibaraki, writes for おくの義務教育学校 that a policy on use is being drawn up. Being on the list and being open to applications are not the same thing.
Listings That State an Amount or Terms
The four that state an amount, the five that accept applications from zero, and the two that state a term
Four of the 55 state an amount (counted for this article).
| Municipality and school | Amount stated |
|---|---|
| 下吉影小学校, Omitama City, Ibaraki | Planned sale price of ¥246,015,000 for the building (including consumption tax) and ¥112,950,000 for the land |
| 旧大貫小学校 and related property, Nasushiobara City, Tochigi | Planned sale price of ¥5,660,000 or more |
| 旧日光中学校, Nikko City, Tochigi | Annual rent assumed at about ¥4.5 million |
| 旧北鹿浜小学校, Adachi City, Tokyo | Minimum proposal amount for land rent in the FY2024 call, ¥1,667,000 a month |
Adachi City, Tokyo, describes 旧北鹿浜小学校 as a call for business proposals with the land leased and the building transferred. Its conditions are that the use be an educational or research facility that adds to the appeal of the city and contributes to the area, that handover is on an as-is basis, that the minimum proposal amount for land rent in the FY2024 call was ¥1,667,000 a month, and that the building would be transferred free of charge if the council so resolves. The remarks note that seismic reinforcement has been carried out, that the originals of the building confirmation and inspection certificates are missing, and that asbestos surveys were carried out in 2020 and 2022. Omitama City, Ibaraki, states a planned sale price of ¥246,015,000 for the building of 下吉影小学校 and ¥112,950,000 for the land, and adds that where a proposal is judged to have higher public benefit, the transfer may be free of charge. Nasushiobara City, Tochigi, states a planned sale price of ¥5,660,000 or more, a single as-is transaction, all costs of renovation and utilities borne by the proposer, and nothing that creates a new financial burden for the city. Nikko City, Tochigi, says it hopes for proposals that draw visitors and revitalize the area, and assumes an annual rent of about ¥4.5 million.
The same word covers different things. Omitama and Nasushiobara give the price they plan for a sale, Nikko an annual rent for a lease, and Adachi a floor from the previous call. A listing can state a sale price and still leave room for a free transfer. The amounts across the whole country are in Closed School Rents and Sale Prices.
Five listings say applications can start from zero or nothing. Chikusei City, Ibaraki, writes in the remarks for 旧大村小学校 and 旧村田小学校 that applications from ¥0 are fine for both transfer and lease, and for 旧長讃小学校 that applications from ¥0 are fine for transfer only. For all three it also says group applications are fine, and so are demolition and extension, with handover on an as-is basis.
Some state a term. Tochigi City, Tochigi, describes 皆川中学校 as a call for a lessee for up to ten years, and Moka City, Tochigi, writes for 山前南小学校 that a call for an operator opened on 7 August 2023 on a lease basis. Whether the property is leased or sold governs how much renovation cost can be recovered.
What the List Does Not Tell You
The free-text column, whether applications are open, deadlines and selection, and unlisted schools
The list uses one nationwide form, and the guidelines describe the conditions of lease or transfer column as free text for the conditions of the call and the uses the municipality hopes for. Being free text, how much is written varies a great deal. Some listings set out four lines of conditions; others give only the form of the call.
Three things the list does not settle:
- Whether you can apply now. The ministry notes that a listing may already have closed or its terms may have changed. Chikusei City says so on the page, but others do not
- The deadline and how the selection is made. Neither appears in the list. The call documents are on the municipality's own pages, and the list carries the contact and the URL
- Closed schools that are not listed. Whether to list is up to the municipality. Nationally 1,503 closed schools have no decided use, while the list has 455 pages
What to Ask the Municipality Before Applying
Application status, transfer or lease, the basis of the amount, seismic and asbestos results, and council resolutions
| What to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Whether applications are open now, and when the next call is | The list is updated monthly, and a closure or a change of terms may not have reached it |
| Whether it is transfer or lease, and whether both are open | Adachi City leases the land and transfers the building. The split changes how long renovation takes to recover |
| The basis of the amount, and whether it is a floor or a guide | Adachi City's ¥1,667,000 a month was the minimum in the FY2024 call, and need not be the same next time |
| Whether seismic and asbestos survey results exist | Some municipalities put this in the remarks (Adachi City, Ibaraki Town, Inashiki City), others do not |
| Whether any term needs a council resolution | Adachi City makes the free transfer of the building conditional on the council resolving it |
Closed School Rents and Sale Prices: Amounts Municipalities State for Schools on Offer, Free or Reduced Terms, and the Articles That Set Usage Fees and Lease Fees
The 16 listings that state an amount and the 32 with free or reduced terms, out of 455, and the articles that set usage fees and lease fees
Using MEXT's Minna no Haiko Project
From registration to matching with a user
How to Write a Closed School Reuse Proposal
The structure, financial plan and community engagement plan that evaluations look for
What to do next
When looking for facilities in the listings, confirm current availability with the municipality.
| # | What to check or consider | Responsible team or contact |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Select facilities whose uses and solicitation types fit your plans | Kanto 1 and Kanto 2 listings |
| 2 | Ask the municipality about current availability and planned future calls | Municipal responsible department |
| 3 | Obtain the call documents and check deadlines, eligibility and selection methods | Official municipal website |
| 4 | Visit the site and ask about seismic and asbestos survey results and drawings | Site and responsible department |
| 5 | At the idea-gathering stage, use market sounding to explain the intended use and requirements | Market sounding |
Listing information may differ from current availability. Before preparing a proposal, confirm that applications are still accepted and check the conditions with the responsible team.
References
Minna no Haiko Project: List of Closed School Facilities Currently Seeking New Uses — Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
List of Closed School Facilities Currently Seeking New Uses: Kanto 1 (Ibaraki, Tochigi), 1 September 2026 edition — Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2026)
List of Closed School Facilities Currently Seeking New Uses: Kanto 2 (Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo), 1 September 2026 edition — Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2026)
List of Closed School Facilities Currently Seeking New Uses: Index, 1 September 2026 edition — Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2026)
Guidelines for Preparing Form 1 (List of Closed School Facilities Seeking Uses), New Registrations — Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2023)
Survey on the Utilization of Closed School Facilities FY2024 — Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2025)
