Hagi Meirin Gakusha

Hagi Meirin Gakusha is a school originally built in 1718 within the outer moat of Hagi Castle. It was established to educate the sons of the retainers of the Hagi domain, also known as the Choshu domain (modern-day Yamaguchi Prefecture). The school was moved to its current location to the southeast of the castle in 1849, and was later expanded to become one of the largest wooden school complexes in Japan. The school includes training halls for martial arts and a pond for swimming and horseback drills. Visitors can learn about the school and Hagi as well as the Meiji Restoration of 1868 through several on-site museums. These include a World Heritage Visitor Center with displays about Meiji-era Japan and its industrial heritage.