Hagi, Yamaguchi / 松下村塾
Shoka Sonjuku Academy
A World Heritage private school where Yoshida Shoin taught, producing many leaders of the late Edo period; the building of the time survives. It began as a school in the home of Shoin's uncle Tamaki Bunnoshin, and in 1857 the 28-year-old Shoin took it over. In just over a year he trained many talents of the Meiji Restoration, such as Kusaka Genzui, Takasugi Shinsaku, Ito Hirobumi and Yamagata Aritomo. The wooden building stands where it did then and can be viewed from outside.
Last official check
26 Sept 2026
Traveler reports
0
Reports open in Phase 2
Next scheduled check
25 Dec 2026
Decide before you go
A short summary made from the official facts below. Check the rows for details.
- Getting there
- Train / Car
Before you go
Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.
- Opening hours
Exterior only, free to view (locked at night).
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Closed
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Admission
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Getting there
About 60 minutes by car from JR Shin-Yamaguchi Station.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Parking
Free parking for cars in the shrine grounds and at the traffic park in front.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Payment
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Accessibility
Disabled parking and accessible toilet at the Shoin Jinja entrance car park.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Found wrong or outdated information? Let us know
Address: Hagi, Yamaguchi (Japanese address: 山口県萩市椿東1537)
Official site: https://yamaguchi-tourism.jp/spot/detail_14023.html
Location
Smaller pins are other spots nearby.
Nearby spots
Photo: masatsu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0Hagi Castle TownYamaguchi2 km away (straight line)- No photo yetAkiyoshidai Safari LandYamaguchi16 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetChomonkyo GorgeYamaguchi17 km away (straight line)
Photo: Tzu-hsun Hsu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Omijima IslandYamaguchi18 km away (straight line)
Photo: uesakakohei (Flickr) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0Akiyoshidai PlateauYamaguchi22 km away (straight line)
Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances.
Crowds
- Crowd level
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Best time to visit
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Peak time
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest days
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest season
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Latest traveler report
- None yet
Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).
You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps
Verification log
- 26 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://yamaguchi-tourism.jp/spot/detail_14023.htmlAccess, parking, description, address and coordinates read from a tourism organization's site.