Private Academies of Chinese Learning in Meiji Japan: The Decline ...

PRIVATE ACADEMIES OF CHINESE LEARNING IN MEIJI JAPAN 97Who were Sōan’s students? A total of 673 names are recordedin the student register from the time of Sōan’s return to Tajima tothe end of his life. 64 In the first five years, while he was teachingat Risseisha, Sōan taught a total of 62 pupils, most of whom camefrom Tajima and many from the surrounding Yabu district. Localstudents continued to be in the majority; 390 or 58 per cent fromthe register were from Tajima province. But the years 1865 to1872 saw an increase in the number of students from outsideTajima. The overall number of entrants varied from year to year,but rose significantly from the 1860s. The highest number of 46students is recorded for 1868 and after 1868 the number of entrantswas between twenty and forty, except for 1873 (10) and 1878, theyear of Sōan’s death (12). Apart from Tajima, many pupils camefrom neighbouring provinces, such as Inaba, Harima, Tanba andTango, places where Sōan had personal connections. Asignificant number also came from Sanuki, including Tadotsudomain, where Sōan had visited Hayashi. Some came from as farafield as Hizen and Shimotsuke, including Utsunomiya domain,which had invited Sōan to an official post. The increase ofstudents from outside Tajima after 1868 contrasts with the juku ofSeisō and Butsusan in northern Kyūshū (see following section). Itincluded students from regions that had not been represented atSeikei shoin before, such as Hitachi, with two from Mito domainentering in 1871, and Kaga, with two pupils from Kanazawadomain entering in 1870 and one in 1871. Often several studentsfrom one province would come from the same district,suggesting that Sōan’s name became known among a group ofpeople, perhaps after one pupil had gone to Seikei shoin. Moststudents were commoners, but many, especially among those thatcame from other regions, were samurai. In the years 1868 and1869 the majority of entrants were samurai. Overall, out of the673 named in the registers, 174 were samurai, 445 commoners, 8physicians, 3 Shintō priests, 3 Buddhist priests and 2 members ofthe nobility.The registers only tells us when a pupil entered, not how longhe stayed, so it cannot be said precisely how many pupils werethere at any one time. Moreover, many students came from localfarming families and their attendance would have varied withthe seasons. In 1862 Sōan notes that he had 30 boarders and 8 to 9day pupils. In 1868 the number sank to around 10, but the sameyear saw a record number of entrants, and the buildings had tobe extended. In 1869 he noted that he had about 50 in his juku. 65