Satou Eisaku

Honor Monument of
Satou Eisaku

ＪＲ Futukaichi Station
Futukaichi is a town of hot spring
near Dazaifu

Stone monument of Noguchi Ujyou
(In front of the Futukaichi Station)

Satou Eisaku was born in March 1901 in Yamaguchi prefecture.
His parents'home was brewer and his family cosisted of 10 members.
Satou Eisaku was the 7th brother,and Kishi Sinsuke the second brother in them.
He graduated from Yamaguchi Middle School and Kumamoto Gokou,advanced to Tokyo University ,and entered the Minister of Railway in 1924 after graduated from the university.
He was assigned to Moji Railway Office near his hometown. In the Minister of Railway,it was custom that even the prospective top officials had had to be engaged in punching ticket,a conductor,or throwing coal in engine in locomotive. After his probationary period of one year and 8 months,he married Hiroko,the eldest sister of his cousin Matuoka Yousuke,in February 1952.
Immediately after he married,he was assigned to a station master of JR Futukaichi station on the Kagoshima Railway Line and he had worked for 4 months there.

Satou Eisaku had worked in the position of tchief of Shimonoseki Transport Office and head of General Affair's section of Moji Railway Bureau in 1927.
He was such a good looking man that he was nicknamed "Danjyuurou" (Japanese famous actor of Kabuki),but his colleague who knew well about Satou Eisaku in those days commented on him that he was va ery common man, prudent on his words and behavior,and courteous.

During the days he worked at Moji Railway Bureau,he gained a popurality from 80 geisya girls. he was called "Kurozaotu"(black sugar)by geisya girls because his skin was tanned.
But he was strict on works, he took care of his subordinates very well.
He became a chief director of General Railway Bureau after the Pacific War. While he seriously made effort to restore the transportation facilities devastated in the war,he was in much trouble on coping with the Labor Union. Around the days,he associated with prime minister Yoshida Shigeru.
Yoshida Shigeru installed Satou Eisaku the top official of the Minister of Transportaion then,and next the position of the Chief Secretary of the Cabinet,and consequently opened Satou Eisaku a gate to political circles.