An AFP journalist said helicopters flew overhead as parents rushed to pick up frightened children.
One witness described how children escaped out of windows to a concrete ledge below, before fire crews brought them to safety using ladders.
A child in the sixth grade described how she and her classmates, who were two rooms away from the music room, suddenly smelled smoke.
“We thought maybe someone was cooking … Then the siren went off,” she said.
She spoke of how they ran down the stairs, covering their mouths with handkerchiefs, and evacuated to the schoolyard.
“Then we saw the music room already burning with flames. There’s a multi-purpose room next to it, and we heard a bang from around the area between the multi-purpose room and the music room.
“It was scary, and a lot of kids were crying,” she said.
Television footage showed dozens of firefighters battling to bring the flames under control, spraying water from a playing field towards the mass of smoke.
Public broadcaster NHK said a teacher was injured and several children suffered smoke inhalation.
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