Kodokan - Kairakuen and Kodokan

The Kodokan, which opened in August 1841, served as the Mito clan's school for the feudal domains. Feudal warriors and their children attended the Kodokan, where the admission age was 15 and there was no graduation or completion age.

Both traditional academics and military art were emphasized at the school, which also had one of the nation's best premises. Similar to modern university, the Kodokan had academic halls like Seicho and the Nobility hall where students learned traditional subjects, an artistic wing for learning military arts, as well as medicine, astronomical observatory, racecourses for horseback riding, and an area for military training. The section where the Eight trigrams hall, Kashima shrine, and Confucian temple were built was considered sacred grounds. At the academic halls, students learned subjects like Confucianism, history, astronomy, mathematics, and music. Subjects like fencing, spearing, military strategy, and equestrian skills were taught in the artistic wing of the school.