Former Shokason-Jyuku School in Hagi

Former Shokason-Jyuku School in Hagi

Shokason-Jyuku was the private school run by YOSHIDA Shoin (1830-1859) from 1857 to 1858 and was located to the east side of Hagi city.

At the end of the Edo Age (1603-1868) , Choshu Domain and Satsuma Domain in currently Kagoshima Prefecture were the main powers who defeated the TOKUGAWA Bakufu, the central government of Japan during the Edo Age. In 1868, they established the Meiji Government together with Satsuma Domain.

In Choshu Domain, many young patriots who were loyal supporters of the Emperor took the initiatives to defeat the TOKUGAWA Bakufu. Most of them were mainly lower ranked retainers of the domain or even the lowest soldiers, called "Ashigaru". Many of young patriots who were in the leading position in the Chosu Domain studied at Shokason-Jyuku School.

If you walk to the south-east from Higashi-Hagi Station, you will see the first "Torii" Gate of Shoin Shrine.

After passing through the first "Torii" Gate, you will see a poor house in the precinct of Shoin Shrine. This house was the school building of "Shokason-Jyuku" run by YOSHIDA Shoin.

YOSHIDA Shoin was a lower class of retainer f Choshu Domain. He became a teacher of military science at the Feudal Domain School, when he was nine years old. He gave a lecture to MORI Takachika (1819-1871) , who was the thirteenth feudal lord of the Choshu Domain, and had good reputations.

In 1853, Commodore Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858) came to Japan with his squadron in order to open Japan to the world. Next year, Commodore Matthew C. Perry came to Japan again, and concluded the Treaty of Kanagawa with TOKUGAWA Bakufu on behalf of the United States.

Using this opportunity, YOSHIDA Shoin went on board a ship of Perry's squadron to ask going abord. But his attempt was failed and he was sent to prison. From 1855, he was confined in his real parent's house. Then, he started to run Shokason-Jyuku in 1857.

The building of Shokason-Jyuku has only two rooms. The number of students was said fifty. Most of students were children of low-class retainers of Choshu Domain. One of exceptions was TAKASUGI Shinsaku (1839-1867) . He was the son of a high-class retainer and his father ordered him not to go to Shokason-Jyuku.

TAKASUGI Shinsaku's birth place and his residence is located on the Kikuya Avenue in downtown Hagi. Please refer the page of "Kikuya Avenue Historical District in Hagi" for more detail:
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/TravelDestinations/Chugoku/Hagi_KikuyaAv_E.html

Next to the former Shokason-Jyuku school, SUGI's family house remains.

This house was YOSHIDA Shoin's parents house. YOSHIDA Shoin was confined in this house from 1855 to 1858. As the anti-shogunate movement became more active, he was sent to prison, again.

At his second imprisonment, he admitted the plot to assassinate MANABE Akikatsu (1804-1884) , who was a member of shogun's council of elders. As a result, YOSHIDA Shoin was executed in 1859, when he was twenty-nine years old.

TOKUGAWA Bakufu, the central government of Japan during the Edo Age, was overthrown in 1868. A couple of students of Shokason-Jyuku school were key players of the anti-shogunate movement. ITO Hirobumi (1841-1909) and YAMAGATA Aritomo (1838-1922) became prime ministers at the Meiji Government established after the TOKUGAWA Bakufu.

Because of these results, Shoin Shrine was founded in 1890 to deify YOSHIDA Shoin.

When I visited the shrine at the early in the morning, the chief priest of shrine was cleaning under the second Torii Gate and in front of the main shrine building.

The birthplace of YOSHIDA Shoin is located to the east from Shoin Shrine. On the way, you will see the residence of TAMAKI Bunnoshin (1810-1876) . TAMAKI Bunnoshin was an uncle of YOSHIDA Shoin. TAMAKI Bunnoshin originally started Shokason-Jyuku in 1842. YOSHIDA Shoin studied also at Shokason-Jyuku.

The birth place of YOSHIDA Shoin is located on a small hill. If you walk up a slope to the hill, you will see the scenery of Hagi City. At the foot of the triangle-shaped mountain, the ruins of Hagi Castle is located.

Please refer the page of Hagi Castle for more detail:
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/TravelDestinations/Chugoku/Hagi_Castle_E.html

The site of the birth place of YOSHIDA Shoin is shown on the grand. His birth place was very small.

YOSHIDA Shoin was born in 1830, as the second son of SUGI Tsunemichi (1804-1865) . SUGI Tsunemichi was a low-class retainer of Choshu Domain, and his salary was very few. YOSHIDA Shoin was adapted by YOSHIDA Daisuke when he was four years old.

Near the birthplace, there is the statue of YOSHIDA Shoin.

To the east of the birthplace of YOSHIDA Shoin, there is a cemetery. In the cemetery, the graves of YOSHIDA Shoin and his relatives, also the graves of his students are located.

The period that YOSHIDA Shoin ran Shokason-Jyuku was only two and a half years. Considering the young students who studied at Shokason-Jyuku succeeded, it is really impressive how his education motivated those young students and how they grew up with his lectures and lessons.