Toin Yoshida Enshrined as God of Academics
Toin Yoshida was beheaded during the Ansei Purge at the end of the Edo period at the young age of 30. Shokasonjuku, a private school where Toin taught, turned out many outstanding figures such as Hirobumi Ito, Genzui Kusaka, and Shinsaku Takasugi, and later became an intellectual pillar of the Meiji Restoration. Toin Yoshida is enshrined here at Toin Shrine. Within the premises of the shrine, Shokasonjuku is preserved in its original form. At the nearby “Toin Yoshida Historical Hall”, Toin’s life can be reflected upon with more than 70 wax doll figures displayed.
To commemorate the 150 years since Toin’s honorable death, a treasure hall “Shiseikan” opened in 2009 displaying Toin’s belongings. Toin Shrine is the perfect place to get a sense of the turbulent Meiji Restoration.
