2023.02.01 Nisshinkan
This school for training sons of samurai aged 10–17 was established in Aizu in 1803. Students received an all-round education to prepare them mentally, physically, and spiritually for a life of service to their daimyo lord. Nisshinkan, located near Tsuruga Castle, was considered the leading educational institution of its type and even welcomed visits from families of other domains eager to learn from the Aizu samurai. Before entering the school, boys aged 6–9 learned the “Rules for Samurai Children,” which were based on respecting others and taking responsibility for one’s actions. The rules are still taught to schoolchildren in Aizu-Wakamatsu as core educational values. Nisshinkan was destroyed during the Boshin War (1868–1869) but, in 1987, it was faithfully recreated on a new site in a suburb of the city.
This English-language text was created by the Japan Tourism Agency.