Shigakko

• Japanese: 士学校 (shi gakkou)

Shigakkô, literally "warrior schools" or "samurai schools," 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.

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.