Historical Figures

Lafcadio Hearn (1850–1904)
		Although Lafcadio Hearn was of Irish extraction, he was born in Greece. He came to Japan in 1891, and took up his new post at The Fifth High School in 1892. His work "Ghost Stories" ("Kaidan") introduces Japan's mysterious traditions in English and is widely known.

Soseki Natsume (1867–1916)
		In 1897, Soseki Natsume came to Kumamoto to take up his new post as a lecturer at The Fifth High School. He was residing in Kumamoto during the time he went on the trip that appears in his famous novel "Kusamakura."

Hayato Ikeda (1899–1965)
		Hayato Ikeda was a politician who was born in Hiroshima prefecture and studied at The Fifth High School. He became the Prime Minister of Japan in 1960, and his administration led Japan for a prolonged time during its era of high economic growth.

Eisaku Sato (1901–1975)
		Eisaku Sato was a politician who was born in Yamaguchi prefecture and studied at The Fifth High School. He became the Prime Minister of Japan in 1964, and played a key role in the return of Okinawa to Japanese rule and the creation of Japan's "three Non-Nuclear Principles." He received the Noble Peace Prize in 1974.