Kōdōkan (Mito)
弘道館
Japan's largest former domain school site; its main hall and Shizen-dō are Important Cultural Properties, and the last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, studied here as a boy.
Kōdōkan was founded in 1841 by Tokugawa Nariaki as the domain school of Mito, teaching both literary and martial arts. It is regarded as the largest domain school of the Edo period and is designated a Special Historic Site. The surviving main hall, Shizen-dō, and front gate are Important Cultural Properties. Inside the main hall you can see a hanging scroll reading 'Sonjō' ('Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians') and the layout of the examination hall. Shizen-dō is where the last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, studied as a child, and where he behaved with prudent deference after the return of political power to the emperor. The grounds have about 60 varieties and 800 plum trees, and the plum season is just as lively as at Kairaku-en. Admission is about 420 yen. Opening hours are about 9:00–17:00 (until 16:30 in winter). It is an 8-minute walk from the north exit of JR Mito Station and can be combined into a walking route with the Ōtemon Gate of Mito Castle and the corner turret of the Ninomaru.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00 (Oct 1–mid-Feb until 16:30)
Nearby sights
- Mito Castle Ruins
- Mito Tōshō-gū
- Art Tower Mito
- Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki
- Lake Senba
- Kairaku-en
- Tokiwa Shrine
- Mito Hachiman-gū