佐久間象山に入門
佐久間象山は信州松代の藩士で、江戸にて儒学を学び、その学識は当代随一と称せられていた。佐久間象山は、今や日本に必要なのは西洋学であるとして儒学を捨て、海外事情の研究に没頭していた。江戸遊学中の松陰は入門し、師象山の教えに開眼した。さらに象山は海外に脱出して、その文明の知識を得よとの使命を松陰に課した。
Become an apprentice with Sakuma Shozan.
Sakuma Shozan was a samurai of Shinshu Matsumoto domain, and he studied Confucianism in Edo, where his scholarship was acclaimed as the foremost of his time. Sakuma Shozan recognized the importance of western studies in Japan, so he abandoned studying Confucianism and immersed himself in the study of foreign affairs.
During his study in Edo, Yoshida Shoin became an apprentice and was greatly enlightened by his teacher Shozan. Furthermore, Shozan had a mission for Yoshida Shoin to escape abroad and acquire knowledge of foreign civilization.