Ikueikan Academy in Susa, Choshu Domain

During the Meiji Restoration, there was a faction of strong willed patriots called Shishi in the Choshu Domain. This was the result of the education which had been done throughout the Edo period. The schools representing that education were the domain school Meirinkan and the private school Shokasonjuku Academy by Shoin Yoshida.
In the Choshu Domain, we had some other excellent schools called Gogaku. They were built by the Mori clan and the upper samurai. They were proud of their facilities, many books, excellent teachers and students who were sons of the samurai. But little research has been done on these schools because there are only few sources whereas many researchers have focused on the Meirinkan and the Shokasonjuku.
In this study, I focus on the Ikueikan Academy, a Gogaku built and managed by the Masuda clan who reigned Susa (now a part of Hagi city) and were political top leaders in the Choshu Domain. What historical conditions led to it’s foundation and what kind of education was practiced there ? How was the relation between the Ikueikan and the Shokasonjuku, and the exchange of the students ? How did the students of the Ikueikan contribute to the political movements during the Meiji Restoration ?