Origins
Matsushiro’s eighth Sanada daimyo (Feudal load), Yukitsura, began work on the Matsushiro Literary and Military Arts School in 1851. After a delay caused by a fire in nearby Matsushiro Castle, the school opened in 1855 under the ninth Sanada daimyo, Yukinori. Students took classes in reading, writing, and various martial arts, usually attending the school from the age of eight.