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[Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture] “Hanko Chidokan” and “Todo Museum” are historical drama spots in the Shonai region! Famous for being the filming location for "Semi Shigure"

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  • Last updated: 2023.06.5

Chidokan is the only existing domain school in Tohoku. At the domain school, I was able to learn about the content of today's elementary school to graduate school.

The buildings on the site are open to the public. Audio guidance is provided and is easy to understand, so you can enjoy it without any prior knowledge.

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

Also, near Chidokan is the Todo Museum, which contains many buildings that are essential to the history of Tsuruoka. Therefore, this time we will introduce Chidokan, a historical domain school, and Chido Museum, where valuable buildings are exhibited.

The roots of Shonai Domain School Chidokan

Promoting education that develops natural abilities

It was created in 1805 (Bunka 2nd year) by Tadanori, the ninth lord of the Sakai family. He valued Sorai studies and had the motto of education as nurturing one's natural ability.

Soraigaku is an unfamiliar word. This is an attempt to study the ancient Chinese language used to decipher the scriptures. By doing so, we aim to properly understand the meaning of the sutra.

In other words, naturalness refers to an individual's strengths and weaknesses. Since people are born with different talents, we focus on developing our strengths.

Recovering a lost part of the samurai

In the Shonai domain at that time, the samurai were active and often acted outside of their samurai duties. Then Tadanori Sakai, the 9th generation of the Sakai family, rose up and tried to correct the minds of the samurai by founding a school.

The idea behind the establishment of the domain school was to help the feudal retainers regain their sense of being samurai and thereby rebuild the domain's government.

The name of Chidokan comes from the Analects of Confucius.

The origin of Chidokan's name comes from the Analects of Confucius: ``A gentleman should study the best way to learn the path.''

Today, Chidokan is the only domain school building in the Tohoku region, and in 1951 it became a nationally designated historic site. The Analects of Confucius and classic reading classes for children are still held here. Todokan education, which values ​​natural ability, is still alive and well.

The Shonai domain, where Todokan is located, is also known as the setting for the original story of the movie ``Bushi Ichibun'', which starred Takuya Kimura and became a hot topic. I am. It is a sacred place for fans of the original work. In particular, Chidokan retains a realistic atmosphere of the past, which touches the hearts of those who visit.

A large and beautiful space selected as a filming location

The shrine, lecture hall, west gate, and east gate are located on a site of 7,000 square meters. The inside of the auditorium remains exactly as it was in those days. The sunlight shines through the carefully polished floors and shoji screens, and you can almost hear the voices of the samurai from somewhere.

Shonai Domain School Chidokan

Because of its atmospheric appearance, it is often used as a filming location for movies. It also appears in the movies ``Hana no Ato'' and ``Semi Shigure'' based on the original work by Shuhei Fujisawa, the Naoki Prize-winning author introduced earlier, as well as in the movie ``13 Assassins'' based on Kaneo Ikegami.

Largest number of valuable documents

Todokan has a particularly large number of historical materials remaining among the domain schools. Shonai is famous as the only domain that survived the Boshin War. There are also documents from that war.

There are also interesting historical materials that deepen the relationship with Saigo Takamori after the war.

INFORMATION

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The Todo Museum is also filled with the charm of Tsuruoka.

Near Todokan, on the west side of Tsuruoka Park, there is Todo Museum. The museum is comprised of several historic buildings, including nationally designated important cultural properties.

The Todo Museum is also a filming location for ``Semi Shigure'' and is an essential spot to experience the history of Tsuruoka.

Historic buildings on site

The following are representative buildings in the museum:

  • Former Nishitagawa County Office
  • Former Tsuruoka Police Station Building
  • Shonai feudal lord Goinden
  • Sakai garden
  • Multi-story private house in Tamumata

The symbol of Todo Museum: “Former Nishitagawa County Office”

In particular, the symbol of the Todo Museum is the ``Old Nishitagawa County Office''. During the Meiji era, Tsuruoka was called "Nishidagawa District." This building was constructed as the county office at that time.

It is characterized by the refined appearance of Western-style architecture. However, Japanese touches are incorporated here and there. For this reason, some people call it pseudo-Western architecture.

Of course, you can also go inside. It is a two-story building, and the inside is Western-style. Archeology is on the first floor, and historical materials on Meiji culture are on the second floor. The architecture is characterized by a hanging staircase.

Unsupported structures at the bottom of stairs were especially common in Renaissance architecture. The building is a collection of techniques from the Meiji period, and it has been designated as a national important cultural property because it incorporates rare (in Japan) Western-style methods.

``Shonai Domain Lord Goinden'' where you can enjoy a peaceful time with matcha tea

It was built in 1863 as a retirement home for Tadaaki Sakai, the 11th lord of the Shonai domain. Currently, there is only the entrance and the back parlor. From the back parlor, you can enjoy a cup of matcha while looking out at the scenic Sakai Garden, a nationally designated scenic spot.

You can feel the peaceful days of Mr. Sakai after he retired. Matcha can be enjoyed for a limited time only.

Matcha offer period: May 1st to October 10am to 3pm Paid (seasonal sweets included)
(Reference: Tsuruoka City Tourism Federation　https://www.tsuruokakanko.com/tsuruoka/paseo/spot/c-museum3.html）

INFORMATION

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

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Summary about Chidokan and Chido Museum

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

There are plenty of sights to see, such as Toun-in Temple, Sakuradani Shrine, Mt. Haguro, and the five-storied pagoda. The Tsuruoka City area has been the setting for many historical works due to its wonderful scenery and atmosphere. A map that summarizes them in an easy-to-understand manner is posted on the Tsuruoka City Tourism Federation's website.

Tsuruoka sightseeing guide
Link
Tsuruoka sightseeing guide
https://www.tsuruokakanko.com/movie/index.html
This is a tourist site for Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, which is rich in nature. It is full of useful information that is essential for the best trip, such as tourist spots such as hot springs and gourmet food, and seasonal events.

While focusing on the Chidokan and Chido Museum that we introduced this time, it would also be interesting to explore Tsuruoka using the guide above as a reference.

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