A number of excellent people were born from the Matsushiro lineage toward the end of the Edo period. Among them, Zōzan Sakuma blossomed in particular. Zōzan, being confident and assertive in nature, received much criticism from time to time and was shunned by others. However, the 8th feudal lord highly valued Zōzan as his talent made up for his difficult personality.
In his 40s, Zōzan opened a cram school in Edo and became an artillery and military arts teacher. Graduates of this school were prominent activists such as Kaishū Katsu, Shōin Yoshida, and Ryōma Sakamoto. With a strong ideology in mind, Zōzan continued to move toward opening the country to the west. However, his words and actions drew the opposing activists' attention and resulted in his assassination in Kyoto. His assassin is thought to be Gensai Kawakami, one of four famous assassins of Shogunate at the end of the Edo period, and he’s also said to be the model of the assassin in "Rurouni Kenshin," a famous Japanese samurai anime.
Even Gensai, who had slashed a mountain of people, was said to have been terrified when he confronted Zōzan. After that, Gensai stopped killing. That is how much of a significant influence Zōzan Sakuma left on him.
Zōzan’s birthplace lies on the castle grounds as well. Located at the entrance is “Kokoro no Ike” pond. The water draws from the Kanda River through the Izumi Suiro waterway and flows in here via the Jōzan Yamadera residence, and continues to flow downstream.
You can find many carp leisurely swimming in the pond.
