Yoshida Shōin

Chōshū thinker and teacher
Era: Late Edo (Bakumatsu) / 1830–1859 (about 29 years)

Who was this person?
A Bakumatsu thinker and teacher from Chōshū. A student of military science who travelled widely, he tried and failed in 1854 to leave Japan aboard Perry’s ships and was arrested. Back in Hagi he taught at the Shōka Sonjuku school, training Takasugi Shinsaku, Kusaka Genzui, Itō Hirobumi and others. Caught up in the Ansei Purge, he was sent to Edo and executed in 1859.

Profile

Name	Yoshida Shōin (吉田松陰)
Born–died	1830 – 1859
Period	Late Edo (Bakumatsu)
Birthplace	Matsumoto village, Hagi, Nagato Province (now Yamaguchi)
Also known as	Yoshida Torajirō
Main achievements	Tried to stow away on Perry’s ships (1854) Taught Takasugi Shinsaku, Itō Hirobumi and others at the Shōka Sonjuku Left the testament Ryūkonroku

Follow this life (autoplay)

The path they walked

1830

Birth

Born at Hagi in the Chōshū domain (Yamaguchi), the second son of the Sugi, a low-ranking samurai family.

1834

Adopted by the Yoshida

He was adopted by his uncle's Yoshida family, hereditary teachers of military science, and was strictly educated by another uncle, Tamaki Bunnoshin.

1840

Lecturing before the lord

Still a boy, he lectured on military science before the lord Mōri Takachika and was praised for his talent.

1851

Studying in Edo

In Edo he studied under Sakuma Shōzan. To tour the northeast he left the domain without waiting for permission, and was later stripped of samurai status.

1854

Failed stowaway attempt

When Perry's fleet returned, he tried at Shimoda to board an American ship to see the world for himself, but was refused. He turned himself in and was jailed.

1855

Teaching in prison

Moved to Noyama prison in Hagi, he lectured to fellow inmates even there. He was later confined to his family home.

1857

Shōka Sonjuku

He took over the Shōka Sonjuku school founded by his uncle and taught young men regardless of rank. Pupils such as Takasugi Shinsaku, Kusaka Genzui and Itō Hirobumi went on to play key roles in the Meiji Restoration.

1858

Fury at the shogunate

Enraged that the shogunate had signed a treaty without imperial sanction, he plotted to kill a senior councillor and was jailed again.

1859

Final days

Sent to Edo in the Ansei Purge, he was executed at 29. Before his death he wrote Ryūkonroku, a testament to his pupils.

What happened in this era

1853: Black Ships arrive
1854: Convention of Kanagawa
1858: Ansei Purge

FAQ

Q. Who was Yoshida Shōin and what did they do?

A. A Bakumatsu thinker and teacher from Chōshū. A student of military science who travelled widely, he tried and failed in 1854 to leave Japan aboard Perry’s ships and was arrested. Back in Hagi he taught at the Shōka Sonjuku school, training Takasugi Shinsaku, Kusaka Genzui, Itō Hirobumi and others. Caught up in the Ansei Purge, he was sent to Edo and executed in 1859.

Q. When did Yoshida Shōin live?

A. Period: Late Edo (Bakumatsu). Born in 1830, died in 1859.

Q. Where was Yoshida Shōin born?

A. Yoshida Shōin was born in Matsumoto village, Hagi, Nagato Province (now Yamaguchi).

Q. What was the Shōka Sonjuku?

A. A private school in Matsumoto village, Hagi, where Shōin taught for about two years from around 1857. Open to students regardless of rank, it produced many leaders of the Restoration and the Meiji government. The building is part of the World Heritage "Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution".