Shigakko

The former gates to the main shigakkô founded by Saigô Takamori on the grounds of the stables of Tsurumaru castle

A section of the surviving stone walls of Saigô's shigakkô, marked by what are said to be bullet holes from the Satsuma Rebellion

• Japanese: 私学校 or 士学校 (shi gakkou)

Shigakkô were private centers of instruction for samurai youth, established and operated by pro-samurai figures such as Saigô Takamori, and prominent particularly in the early years of the Meiji period, particularly in Kagoshima prefecture. The term can be written in two ways, with the homophones 「私学校」 and 「士学校」, both pronounced shigakkô, meaning "private school" and "warrior/aristocrat school," respectively.

In 1877, on the eve of the Satsuma Rebellion, there were roughly 7,000 such schools in Kagoshima prefecture (formerly Satsuma han) alone, with a total enrollment of roughly 20,000 students.

References

• Norman, E.H. Soldier and Peasant in Japan: The Origins of Conscription. New York: Institute for Pacific Relations, 1945. p44.