This domain school was founded in 1805 by Sakai Tadaari, the ninth Lord of the Sakai Family,
aiming at cultivating fresh discipline and superior talent among the samurai in the Shonai domain.
The school’s educational system focused on encouraging autonomy and cultivating the strengths
of the individual students through their natural talent in accordance with the Japanese Confucian
principles established by Ogyu Sorai. This created an educational culture of simplicity and fortitude
in the Shonai district. Today Chido-kan, a National Historic Relic is open to the public and attracts
many visitors. The main gate (Omote-gomon), a shrine to Confucius (Seibyou), a lecture hall (Kodo)
and a room used for the Lord’s visits (Oirinoma) still remain. It is well known that this domain
school architecture is historically and culturally valuable, since this is the only existing domain
school in the Tohoku area.
11-45 Baba-cho, Tsuruoka City
TEL 0235-23-4672
[Open hours] 9.00-16.30 except Mondays and 29/Dec – 3/Jan
[Entry Fees/ ￥] Free
[Access] From the Tsuruoka Station, 10 minutes by bus on the Yunohama route to the Municipal
Office stop, then 1 minuets on foot
This domain school was founded in 1805 by Sakai Tadaari, the ninth Lord of the Sakai Family,
aiming at cultivating fresh discipline and superior talent among the samurai in the Shonai domain.
The school’s educational system focused on encouraging autonomy and cultivating the strengths
of the individual students through their natural talent in accordance with the Japanese Confucian
principles established by Ogyu Sorai. This created an educational culture of simplicity and fortitude
in the Shonai district. Today Chido-kan, a National Historic Relic is open to the public and attracts
many visitors. The main gate (Omote-gomon), a shrine to Confucius (Seibyou), a lecture hall (Kodo)
and a room used for the Lord’s visits (Oirinoma) still remain. It is well known that this domain
school architecture is historically and culturally valuable, since this is the only existing domain
school in the Tohoku area.
