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Checked · Researched, not yet visited · times from official timetables and our estimates · Takumi Yamada
Yoshida Shoin taught here from November 1857 for little more than a year, in a wooden house of about 50 square metres. Kusaka Genzui, Takasugi Shinsaku, Ito Hirobumi and Yamagata Aritomo were among the pupils. The room where he lectured holds his portrait and desk. The academy is one of Hagi’s five components of the Meiji Industrial Revolution World Heritage listing.
Three things the plaques won't tell you
- The Maaru bus east route stops at Shoin Shrine, but from Hagi Museum the one-way loop takes about 70 minutes.
- By rental bicycle the shrine is about 2.3 km from the Kikuya lanes over flat ground.
- Ito Hirobumi’s house, a few minutes’ walk away, is seen from outside.
The academy is one of Hagi’s five components of the Meiji Industrial Revolution World Heritage listing.
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Questions people ask here
How do I get from the cruise ship to Shokasonjuku?
By taxi from the tender pier: 3.7 km, about 10 minutes and ¥1,700 on Yamaguchi’s tariff from 11 March 2026, by our estimate. The Maaru loop bus stops at Shoin Shrine for ¥100 but takes over an hour from the castle town.
Can I go inside Shokasonjuku?
No. The academy is seen from outside. The shrine grounds are free and always open.