Shoheizaka Gakumonjo

An educational institution under the direct control of the Edo Shogunate

〈Table of Contents〉
1. Training school for bureaucrats and officials
2. Reference: Popular indoctrination and education

1. Training school for bureaucrats and officials
In Edo, besides the hatamoto (direct retainers) and gokenin (lower-ranking direct retainers), daimyo also maintained residences where their retainers lived. Furthermore, many scholars gathered in the city, hoping to be employed by the shogunate or the domains. As a result, a wide variety of private schools were established in Edo, ranging from tenarai-juku (writing and reading schools) to private academies teaching advanced studies.

Among these, the Shoheizaka Gakumonjo in Yushima (Bunkyo Ward) was established in the 9th year of the Kansei era as an educational institution under the direct control of the Edo Shogunate.

The roots of the Shoheizaka Gakumonjo lie in the private school of Hayashi Razan, a Confucian scholar who was employed by the first shogun, Ieyasu.A shrine dedicated to Confucius was also built at the private school.During the era of the fifth shogun, Tsunayoshi, both the private school and the shrine became the Yushima Seido (Yushima Shrine), and in the era of the 11th shogun, Ienari, it became the Shoheizaka Gakumonjo under the direct control of the Edo Shogunate.

The Shoheizaka Gakumonjo primarily targeted hatamoto and gokenin, with the goal of training bureaucrats to handle politics and cultivating the spirit of the samurai. Additionally, as a measure to encourage academic study among samurai, the Gakumon Ginmi (academic examination), which corresponds to modern-day exams, was conducted.

This was a written examination based on passages from works such as the Four Books and Five Classics, where examinees interpreted the content, explained the vocabulary used, and provided analysis. Those who achieved high scores were rewarded with appointments to official positions or promotions.The Gakumon Ginmi was a chance for lower-ranking samurai who aspired to advance their careers.

2. Reference: Popular indoctrination and education
The eighth shogun, Yoshimune, used academics as a tool for politics. As part of his indoctrination activities (a form of authoritative management), Yoshimune opened lectures (koshaku) held at places like the Yushima Auditorium to the townspeople of Edo. These lectures continued throughout the rest of the Edo period.

While academics flourished further in the late Edo period, as public order deteriorated and public sentiment became increasingly unsettled nationwide, more intensive indoctrination policies were adopted.

A prime example of this is the Kansei Igaku no Kin (Prohibition of Heterodox Studies) issued in the second year of the Kansei era (1790). While this prohibition is generally described as political control over thought and academics, it did not ban them for the general public, but was strictly limited to the Hayashi family's private school (the later Shoheizaka Gakumonjo).

The purpose of the Prohibition of Heterodox Studies was an indoctrination policy that looked toward the townspeople of Edo and the general public across the country, aiming to establish 'Neo-Confucianism' as a unified moral standard for the foundation of character building. Beyond that, it encouraged the acquisition of diverse specialized knowledge and skills suited to each individual's aptitude.

Reference: 'A Book to Understand Everything About the Edo Period (Natsumesha)'

End