Shōkasonjuku Academy
Shōkasonjuku Academy (松下村塾, Shōkasonjuku; Japanese pronunciation: [ɕoː.ka.soꜜɲ.dʑɯ.kɯ]), is a small size academy also known as a national historic site of Japan. The location of Shōka Sonjuku is 1537-1 Chinto, Hagi city, Yamaguchi.
Shōka Sonjuku is inside a shrine: Shōin Jinja (also Shōin Shrine). Shōin Shrine was built for Yoshida Shōin, to memorialize the leading figure of the Meiji Restoration. The traditional wooden building was one of the most crucial origins of political and philosophical ideas, specifically in manners of Western technology and critical industrialization of Japan. The area of Shōka Sonjuku is 50 m2 (540 sq ft). It consists of an 8-mat classroom, 10-mat prep room and a 3.3 m2 (36 sq ft) earthen floor. The common view of Shōka Sonjuku is that this sonjuku (a place for academy) was established by Yoshida Shōin (one of the most unique intellectuals and philosopher of wang yangming school of mind in Japan). The actual origin of this sonjuku was when Shōin’s uncle Tamaki Bunnoshin used his own residence to establish a shijuku (independent private school of the Tokugawa system). Shōka Sonjuku fostered many outstanding figures, who contributed to the Meiji Restoration. It closed in 1892 and the guideline of the sonjuku was "support the Mikado (the emperor of Japan) and resist the imperialism from other countries".