The Domain School Chi Dokan and the Todo Museum are historical drama spots in the Shonai region! [Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture]

Chidokan is the only surviving domain school in the Tohoku region, where students could learn the same level of education as today's elementary school through graduate school.

The buildings on the premises are open to the public. Audio guides are available and easy to understand, so you can enjoy the place even if you have no prior knowledge

This is a valuable place where you can get a glimpse of history and discover what kind of education was provided in Tsuruoka during the Edo period

Also, near Chidokan is the Chido Museum, which houses many buildings that are essential to the history of Tsuruoka. Today, we will introduce the historic domain school, Chidokan, and the Chido Museum, where valuable buildings are on display

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The roots of the Shonai Domain School, Chidokan

Promoting education that develops natural talent

Chidokan was founded in 1805 (Bunka 2) by Lord Tadanori, the ninth feudal lord of the Sakai clan. He placed great importance on the Sorai school of thought, and his educational motto was to nurture natural talent

Sorai-gaku is an unfamiliar term. It is a discipline that aims to study the ancient Chinese language used in the interpretation of classic texts. By doing so, it aims to properly grasp the meaning of the classic texts.

Natural talent refers to an individual's strengths and weaknesses. Since people are born with different talents, the focus is on developing their strengths

Reclaiming the lost part of the samurai

At the time, the Shonai domain's samurai were frivolous and often behaved in ways that deviated from the duties of a samurai. This is where the ninth head of the Sakai family, Tadanori Sakai, stepped in and established a school to correct the samurai's mindset

The desire behind the establishment of the domain schools was to help the samurai regain their sense of warriorhood and use that to rebuild the domain's government

The name Chidokan comes from the Analects of Confucius

The name Chidokan comes from "A gentleman learns and follows the path."

Today, Chidokan is the only remaining domain school building in the Tohoku region, and was designated a national historic site in 1951. Even today, the building hosts events such as Confucius meetings and classical reading classes for children. The Chidokan education that values ​​natural talent is still alive and well

The Shonai domain where the Chidokan is located is also known as the setting for the original story of the film "Samurai's Minute" ("Blind Sword Echo Return" by Fujisawa Shuhei), which became a hot topic and starred Kimura Takuya. It is a mecca for fans of the original story. Chidokan in particular has realistically retained the atmosphere of the past, which resonates with the hearts of those who visit

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A large, beautiful space chosen as a filming location

The 7,000 square meter site is home to the mausoleum, lecture hall, west gate, and east gate. The inside of the lecture hall remains exactly as it was in the past. With the carefully polished floor and sunlight filtering through the shoji screens, you can almost hear the voices of samurai

Due to its atmospheric appearance, it is often used as a filming location for movies, such as "After the Flowers" and "Semi Shigure," both based on the novels of the Naoki Prize-winning author Fujisawa Shuhei, and "Thirteen Assassins," based on the novel of Ikegami Kaneo

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The largest number of valuable documents

Among all the domain schools, Todokan has a particularly large number of historical documents. Shonai is famous as the only domain that survived the Boshin War, and documents from that time are also available

There are also interesting historical documents that deepen his relationship with Saigo Takamori after the war

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Chidokan＜Information＞

• Name: Shonai Domain School Chidokan
• Address: 11-45 Babacho, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0235-23-4672
• Official URL: https://www.chido.jp/chidokan/index.html

Google Map

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The Todo Museum is also full of Tsuruoka's charms

Located on the west side of Tsuruoka Park, close to Todokan, is the Todo Museum, which consists of several historical buildings, including one designated as an Important Cultural Property by the national government

The Todo Museum was also used as a filming location for the TV drama "Semi Shigure," making it an essential spot for learning about Tsuruoka's history

Historic buildings on the site

The following are some of the representative buildings in the museum:

• Former Nishitagawa County Office
• Former Tsuruoka Police Station Building
• Shonai Domain Lord's Retirement Palace
• Sakai Family Garden
• Multi-story houses in Tamugimata

The symbol of the Todo Museum: the former Nishitagawa County Office

The former Nishitagawa County Office is a particularly symbolic presence at the Todo Museum. Tsuruoka was known as Nishitagawa County during the Meiji period. This building was constructed as the county office at that time

It features a sophisticated Western-style exterior, but incorporates some Japanese elements in places. For this reason, some people call it pseudo-Western architecture

Of course, you can go inside. It is a two-story building, and the interior is also Western-style. Archaeological materials are displayed on the first floor, and historical materials related to Meiji culture are displayed on the second floor. The building's distinctive feature is the hanging staircase

The structure without supports underneath the stairs was particularly common in Renaissance architecture. The building incorporates Meiji-era techniques and rare Western-style methods (in Japan), and has been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan

Feel the peace and quiet of matcha at Shonai Domain Lord's Inn

It was built in 1863 as a retirement home for Sakai Tadaharu, the 11th lord of the Shonai domain. Today, only the entrance hall and inner parlor remain. From the inner parlor, you can enjoy a cup of matcha while admiring the scenic Sakai family garden, a nationally designated place of scenic beauty

You can feel the relaxed life of Mr. Sakai in retirement. Matcha is available for a limited time only

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Chido Museum＜Information＞

• Name: Chido Museum
• Address: 10-18 Yanakashinmachi, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0235-22-1199
• Official URL: https://www.chido.jp/

Google Map

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Summary of Chidokan and Chido Museum

This time, we have introduced famous spots in Tsuruoka City, Shonai region, which are often used as filming locations for movies. In fact, in addition to the two places introduced this time, Tsuruoka has many other historical buildings and areas

There are plenty of sights to see, such as Doun-in Temple, Sakuradani Shrine, Mt. Haguro, and the five-story pagoda. The Tsuruoka area has been the setting for many period dramas due to its beautiful scenery and atmosphere

Link: Shonai Filming Location Database

It would be interesting to explore Tsuruoka, focusing on the Chidokan and Chido Museum introduced here, while also referring to the guide above

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