1. What Is the Gym Equipment Room Called in Official Documents?
At the start of PE time, everyone carries out vaulting boxes and mats. The room where these tools are kept is usually called the "gym warehouse," but in national documents, it appears under the names "equipment room" or "equipment storage" [1]. In the glossary of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) school facility survey, the indoor sports facility (gymnasium) is defined as a facility that includes the main room, plus attached rooms such as waiting rooms, equipment rooms, and toilets [1]. Besides the large main room, the equipment room for storing tools is counted as part of the gymnasium's contents from the start.
The national "Guidelines for School Facility Development" also states that it is important to plan the indoor sports facility integrally with attached facilities like changing rooms, toilets, and equipment storage [2]. This means that when building a gymnasium, one must consider not just the floor area, but also the place to store tools together. However, an official document that states in one sentence "why we need an equipment room" was not found in this search. The equipment room is a room that does not just store tools; it is thought to help keep the gym floor clear and relate to lesson preparation and safety. Therefore, we read its function from definitions, guidelines, and examples from various places. Note that this article focuses on the equipment room attached to the gymnasium. Outdoor warehouses on the playground side are a different topic.
Safety Note: It is thought that the equipment room is a room that does not just store tools, but also helps keep the gym floor clear and relates to lesson preparation and safety.
2. Where Are Tools Kept in a Gym Without an Equipment Room?
There is a request document submitted by an elementary school in Kyoto City asking for gymnasium improvements. In it, the current situation where the gymnasium lacks a warehouse for storing equipment, as well as toilets and changing rooms, is listed as a problem [5]. From the document, we can read that because there is no warehouse, equipment is left sitting inside the gymnasium [5]. The gymnasium is a place where we want to keep the floor wide open for movements like running, jumping, and throwing balls. If vaulting boxes or ball baskets remain on that floor, the usable space becomes smaller.
Of course, this is an example from just one school. It is not a story about all schools nationwide. However, from the troubles of a school without a warehouse, we can see in reverse how the equipment room works as a "room to tidy up tools and keep the gym floor wide." So, if there is an equipment room, is that the solution? To take tools out and put them away "quickly and safely," further ingenuity seems to be needed.
Safety Note: There is another perspective regarding the speed of taking tools in and out and safety.
3. How Do Wheels on Vaulting Boxes Change Preparation Time and Safety?
The Yokohama City Board of Education's "Elementary School PE Management Q&A" has an answer about tool preparation. It states that placing vaulting boxes on wheeled mobile stands makes movement easier, which leads to ensuring safety during ball games and shortening preparation time [4]. Regarding mats, it recommends stacking the same type of mats and placing them so they are not stuck tight against the wall, keeping them in a state where they can be moved immediately [4].
Lifting and carrying heavy vaulting boxes takes time and puts a burden on the body. Since class time is limited, the more time spent on preparation, the less time there is for physical activity. The wheeled stand is a method to shorten preparation time. Seen this way, the equipment room is not just for "storing" but is used as a room where tools can be "taken out quickly and returned quickly." The way items are placed and the use of stands affect the pace of the lesson.
Safety Note: The value of the equipment room relates not just to storing, but also to the speed of taking tools in and out and safety. According to the Yokohama City Board of Education, putting vaulting boxes on wheeled stands makes movement easier and helps ensure safety and shorten preparation time. This document treats the placement of items inside the room as a method to protect preparation time and safety.
4. What Troubles Came Up When Designing a Gym Equipment Room?
At Kamigo Junior High School in Yokohama, the gymnasium was being renovated, and an equipment room was added. The designer explains that the plan was to resolve the lack of storage capacity and the crossing of traffic lines to make an easy-to-use equipment room [3]. "Lack of storage capacity" means tools do not fit. "Crossing of traffic lines" means the paths people and tools take intersect. We can see that the warehouse is a room that causes trouble if it is not wide enough, and also if the positions of entrances and aisles are bad.
Another point is that the national guidelines for elementary school facility development state that if the gymnasium is opened to the community, it is desirable to plan a separate equipment room specifically for community use [2]. The guidelines suggest planning separate equipment rooms for school classes and for community use. However, this is a guideline written with the word "desirable," not a rule that must be followed.
Three conditions overlap in one small room: "amount," "path," and "users." So, when did PE classes using tools like vaulting boxes and horizontal bars enter schools?
5. When Did PE Classes Using Apparatus Enter Schools?
Exercises using fixed apparatus like vaulting boxes, horizontal bars, balance beams, and rings are called apparatus gymnastics. It is said that gymnastics entered Japan around the beginning of the Meiji era, and apparatus gymnastics spread to schools much later [6]. In the "Gymnastics Outline" of 1926 (Taisho 15), hanging exercises (hanging from bars) and jumping exercises are said to have become major teaching materials in school PE and spread nationwide [6].
If classes using tools spread, one might think a place to put the tools was needed. However, a document that states "warehouses were built because tools increased" was not found in this search. It is unclear when and for what reason the gym warehouse became attached to the gymnasium. Separating what is known from what is unknown becomes an entry point for further investigation. For example, if you ask a teacher to show you old photos or blueprints of your school's gymnasium, you might be able to check if the location of the equipment room has changed from the past.
6. How Can You Observe Your School's Equipment Room Safely?
During PE class, try asking your teacher, "May I look inside the equipment room?" Do not enter on your own. When going inside, always go with your teacher. Do not run in front of the door or inside, do not lift heavy things, and look slowly. There are three things to look at: Where is the entrance in the gym? Are the vaulting boxes on wheeled stands? Are the mats stacked and not stuck against the wall? Do the stories about "amount" and "path" read in this article apply to your school? Think about whether there seem to be too many tools causing trouble, or if the aisles look narrow. If your gymnasium is open to the community, ask your teacher if the equipment rooms for classes and community use are separated.
Safety Note: If tools are on wheeled stands, it can be thought that the placement considers preparation time and safety [4].