The Remains of Matsuyama municipal high grade school.
(Bancho elementary school)

In 27th Mar. 1894(Meiji 27), Japan Group Haiku association "Shofu-kai",a direct line of Shiki Masaoka, started at Matsuyama. This group consisted of only the teacher of Matsuyama municipal high grade school,principal Kazuyoshi Nakamura(pen name "Aisho"), teacher Monzaburo Noma(pen name "Souryu") and so forth. This monument is built on the right-hand side of the main entrance of Bancho elementary school. This place is just the remains of Matsuyama municipal high grade school.
"Sho" of "Shofu-kai" is connected with "Matsuyama" (The pronunciation of "Matsu" is "sho"), and same sound as "sho" of "Basho"(the famous Haiku originator).
In the following year, 1895(Meiji 28), from summer to autumn, The members of Shofu-kai visited to Soseki's lodge "Gudabutsu-an", at that sickly Shiki lived temporarily and took lessons in Haiku. Shuki led them enthusiastically and Soseki uncosciously took his seat in the meeting too.Shofu-kai continued to be untile early year of Taisho era.
Coming into the main entrance of Bancho elementary school, you can find the statue of Shiki, and Haiku monuments of Shiki and Kyoshi Takahama.
Not only Shiki but Kyoshi Takahama,Saneyuki Akiyama, Hironori Mizuno and Gizan Simomura are the graduates of Katsuyama School,the predecessor of the present Bancho elementary school.