Mito Clan School Kodoukan

Koudoukan was founded by Nariaki Tokugawa, the ninth lord of the Mito Domain, and is registered as a Japanese Heritage site as an educational heritage of modern Japan.

Based on the founding spirit of Prince Nariaki Tokugawa, “to stabilize people’s minds through education and to develop the nation on the basis of education,” Koudoukan functioned as an educational institution that taught literature and military arts with a focus on Confucian education.

The Kodokan was recognized as one of Japan’s educational heritage sites of the early modern period, along with Ashikaga Gakko (Ashikaga City), the oldest existing school in Japan, Hamugien (Hita City), the largest private school in Japan, and the former Kanya Gakko (Bizen City), which has a lecture hall that is a national treasure.

In addition, there are three other facilities in Mito City that, like Koudoukan, have been recognized as Japanese Heritage sites: Kairakuen Garden, Bunbukagakuen Garden, and Kairakuen School. These are Kairakuen Garden, the Nisshinjuku site, which served as a place for both literary and military education, and the former Mito Shokokan site, which was used to compile the history of Japan. These are also recognized as historical sites that contributed to education in modern Japan.

When you visit Kairakuen during Mito’s Ume Festival or other events, be sure to visit the Kodokan as well. The two were created as a set, with Kairakuen Garden as a place to enjoy and the Koudoukan as a place to learn.

Koudoukan and Kairakuen were built based on the idea of “Ichijo ippatsu. Mitsukuni Tokugawa, the second lord of the Mito domain, is well known, but Nariaki Tokugawa, the ninth lord of the Mito domain, is also a great lord who should be known.

His philosophy of “ippan ippatsu” is a Confucian concept that calls for tolerance while at the same time being strict at times. Koudoukan was a place for rigorous study, and Kairakuen was a place where everyone could enjoy themselves together. This idea was open-minded and progressive in the feudal society of the time.

Koudoukan was the center of “Mito Gakkou” (Mito studies), which had an influence on the samurai of other domains, and was opened in 1841 as a domain school of the Mito domain. The scale and content of the school can truly be described as a university, and Tokugawa Nariaki’s enthusiasm for education can be seen.

The Koudoukan was the stage from which “Mito Gaku” (Mito studies) developed, and its ideas had a great influence on the late Shoin Yoshida, Takamori Saigo, and other patriots of the Tokugawa Shogunate, becoming the driving force behind the Meiji Restoration.

The interior of the Koudoukan has the atmosphere of the time when it was a han school, and stepping inside is like stepping back in time to the Edo period. The age of admission to Koudoukan was 15 years old, and there was an entrance examination. With an emphasis on lifelong education, there was no graduation, and attendance was optional for those over 40 years of age.

Visitors are encouraged to walk around the museum as if they were a child of a feudal lord. Especially during the “Mito Plum Blossom Festival,” visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery with plum trees in full bloom.

Kodokan was founded by Prince Nariaki Tokugawa as a domain school of the Mito domain, and was a kind of comprehensive university that taught a wide range of studies. Part of the building has been preserved and is designated as a Special Historic Site of Japan. The site is also known as Koudoukan Park, where about 800 plum trees are planted and the area is famous for its plum blossoms.

Main Gate

The main gate is an important cultural property, a four-legged gate with a tile roof. It was opened only when the feudal lord visited or on official occasions. The pillars still bear bullet holes from the Battle of Kodokan in 1868. Many buildings were destroyed by fire during the battle, but the Seimon Gate, Seicho and Shizen-do remain.

Service Gate

Located to the right of the main gate, this gate was used by teachers and officials to enter and exit the building. Visitors today also enter through the gate.

Entrance

This is the entrance to the main building, which is now entered from a different location. The front of the building is decorated with a flat plaque in Nariaki’s own handwriting that reads “Kodokan” (Kodo Hall). In the back room, a calligraphy of “Sonnojo” (尊王攘夷) written by the domain doctor of the Mito clan is on display.

At the entrance are statues of Tokugawa Nariaki and his son, Keiki, the last shogun of the Edo Shogunate. Yoshinobu was Nariaki’s seventh child and was educated at Kodokan from an early age. Nariaki had high hopes for him.

Trial Hall

This spacious area was used for martial arts examinations. The lord of the domain watched the examinations from his seat in the main hall. The examinees must have been nervous and put in a lot of effort as they took the test in front of the feudal lord.

Sho-cho Seiza-no-Ma (Room for Seats in the Main Office)

This is where the feudal lord sat and observed academic examinations and martial arts examinations held in the hall. In the alcove is a rubbings of the Koudoukanki monument, which is inscribed with the founding spirit of Koudoukan.

Goza-no-Ma (throne room) in Shizen-do

This is where Yoshinobu Tokugawa spent the first year of Meiji (the first year of the Meiji Era) under house arrest after the restoration of the Taiseihokan. This is the room where Yoshinobu Tokugawa studied as a child, and visitors can feel his state of mind during his house arrest.

Exhibition Space

Located in several rooms in the museum, there are many valuable exhibits such as illustrations, rubbings, seals, and photographs. Highlights include a Chinese poem written by Yoshida Shoin when he visited Mito, and photos of Tokugawa Yoshinobu and his family.

Confucius Temple

The Confucius Temple was built based on the principle of “Shin-Ryu Unity” and enshrines Confucius, the founder of Confucianism. The main hall is usually closed to the public, although the gate can be seen in the photo. The Confucian scholar Zhu Shunsui defected from the Ming Dynasty, which had a great influence on Mito Gakko.

Kashima Shrine

Built in accordance with the idea of “Shin-Ryu Unity.” Here, Takemikazuchi no Mikoto, who was dispatched from Kashima Jingu Shrine, is enshrined. Takemikazuchi no Mikoto is the god of warriors, and Tokugawa Nariaki’s desire for both the civil and military arts can be felt here.

Student Warning Bell

The bell tower on the west side of the Confucius Temple is hung with a bell cast by Nishiaki himself. The bell is embossed with waka poems written by Qi Shou in Manyogana (Japanese phonetic alphabet).

Bagua Hall

Housed in this hall is the Koudoukanki Stele, a symbol of the founding spirit of the school. The monument is usually closed to the public, but rubbings can be viewed in the Seisho Room of the main building.

There is also one store in the museum, where many souvenirs related to the Mito clan are sold. These include a tenugui hand towel printed with Nariaki’s calligraphy and an inro (a sealed envelope) of the Goro Duke, all of which will appeal to history buffs.

Kodokan was a domain school built in the late Edo period for the Mito clan in Japan, and is located in San-no-maru, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

The current site is used as an urban park and is maintained as Kodokan Park. Part of the former Koudoukan is designated as a special national historic site, and the Shocho, Shizen-do, and Shomon (main gate) are designated as important cultural properties. With an area of approximately 105,000 square meters, the site was the largest in Japan for a domain school.

The former Koudoukan building is considered a fee-based park facility, and admission requires a viewing fee. However, it is different from a museum and is not subject to the Museum Law.

Although it was damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, restoration was carried out, and the restoration of the Koudoukan monument was completed in 2013. In addition, the north fence gate, earthen mound, and passageway were restored in 2019, and a tour of the museum was held.

Koudoukan is also an important cultural asset in Mito City, and in 2015 was recognized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as part of the Japan Heritage “Educational Heritage of Early Modern Japan - The True Source of the Spirit of Learning and Civility”.

History

Completed in 1841, Kodokan was a domain school built by Tokugawa Nariaki, the lord of Mito, within Mito Castle. The first professors were Shoshisai Aizawa and Tosai Aoyama, and the building was constructed by Houken Toda. The building was constructed by Toda Bokken, and Yasushima Taito was appointed as the school magistrate. At Koudoukan, a wide range of studies and research was conducted, not only in the humanities but also in some of the natural sciences. It also served as the stage for Mito Gakko, which was influenced by the “Dai Nihon Shishi” (History of Japan) that Tokugawa Mitsukuni had begun compiling.

Kodokan was a large scale school for a domain school at that time, and it is said that it reflected the educational policy of the Mito domain. It was based on the idea of lifelong learning, with no particular graduation concept. Limits on the number of days of attendance were set according to family background, with the aim of nurturing individuals whose family status matched their abilities.

During the Meiji Restoration, the conflict between reformers and conservatives intensified, and Kodokan became a stage for this conflict. Tokugawa Yoshinobu was temporarily confined to Shizen-do, but was forced to move because of the continuing turmoil. In addition, in the first year of Meiji (1868), fighting broke out within the Mito clan, and many buildings in the Kodokan were destroyed by fire.

The Kodokan was subsequently closed and replaced by a park. Although some of the books in the collection were destroyed by fire, some were taken over by related parties and are now maintained by the Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History.

Many plum trees were planted on the grounds of the Koudoukan, and Nariaki’s poem states, “There are a thousand plum trees. Today, approximately 800 plum trees are still planted and the area is well known for its plum blossoms. It was also built as a counterpart to Kairakuen Garden and is known as a place for mental and physical recreation.

The main gate is a shikyakumon (four-legged gate), with bullet holes in the pillars that are believed to have been shot during the Koudoukan War of 1868.

The Seisho (School Hall) is the administrative building of the Kodokan and is located along with the Bunkan and the Bukan. Four rooms called “Shizen-do” are also located adjacent to the Shocho.

Shizen-do was used as a waiting room for the feudal lord and a place for his children to study. Today, it is the site of the inscription on the Yoseki Stele.

The Confucius Temple was built in accordance with the doctrine of Sino-Confucian unity, with the Onigatama and Oniryuzi on the roof.

The Bagua Hall is a covered hall with an octagonal shape and is inscribed with “Hongdogakan Ki”.

The student alarm bell was located inside the Koudoukan and served as a reminder of the time.

Kashima Shrine is the first shrine in Hitachinaka, and the temple was rebuilt.

The Tanebai Ki Monument is a stone inscribed with the origin of ume (Japanese apricot) and describes the appreciation of ume and the production of umeboshi (pickled plums).

The Koudoukanki monument is a stone inscribed with “Koudoukanki” in Nariaki’s own hand, and is located in the bagua hall.

The Yoishi Uta Monument is located near Kashima Shrine and is inscribed with a poem by Nishiaki. A copy of the poem hangs in Jizen-do.