Shōkasonjuku Academy, Educational institution in Hagi, Japan
The Shōkasonjuku Academy is a private school from the Edo period in Hagi, Japan. The modest wooden building with a tiled roof houses an eight-mat lecture room and a 10.5-mat waiting area.
The school was founded in 1842 and gained prominence in the late 1850s under Yoshida Shōin, who trained young thinkers there. Many of his students played central roles in the Meiji Restoration after his death, which ended the feudal system.
Teaching followed an informal approach, with scholar Yoshida Shōin encouraging young men from different social classes to share their views. This discussion culture was unusual for the rigid class order of the Edo period and attracted people willing to speak openly about reform.
The site is located about one minute from Shoin Shrine and can be visited at no cost. Free parking for regular vehicles is available nearby.
Yoshida Shōin taught here for only about two years before he was executed for conspiracy in 1859. Despite this short time, his teachings shaped the ideas of many leaders who drove Japan's transformation into the modern era.
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