Kaisei Academy facts for kids

Kaisei Academy (Japanese: 開成学園, Kaisei Gakuen) is a private school for boys in Arakawa, Tokyo, Japan. It teaches students from junior high (around age 12) through high school (around age 18).

About Kaisei Academy

Kaisei Academy welcomes about 300 new students to its junior high and 400 to its high school each year. The school has a special motto in Japanese: 質実剛健 (shitsujitsugouken). This phrase means "strong and simple." The school's English motto is "The pen is mightier than the sword." This means that thinking and writing are more powerful than fighting.

History of Kaisei Academy

How the School Started

Kaisei Academy was founded in 1871 by Sano Kanae. He was a teacher who knew a lot about Western studies, how to use guns, and oceanography (the study of the ocean). The school was first called Kyōryū Academy (共立学校).

Reopening and New Leadership

After Sano Kanae passed away in 1877, the school closed for a short time. But in 1878, it reopened! Takahashi Korekiyo, who was a professor, became the first principal of the new school. He turned it into a boarding school where students lived and prepared for university. In 1879, many students from the school were accepted into universities.

A New Name

The school got its current name, Kaisei Academy, in 1895.

Famous People Who Went to Kaisei Academy

Many important people have studied at Kaisei Academy. Here are a few:

• Keisuke Okada (1868–1952) was a Prime Minister of Japan from 1934 to 1936. A Prime Minister is the head of the government in Japan.
• Kikunae Ikeda (1864–1936) was a chemist. He discovered "umami," which is one of the five basic tastes, like sweet or salty.
• Takahira Kogorō (1854–1926) was a diplomat. He served as Japan's Ambassador to the United States from 1900 to 1909. An ambassador represents their country in another country.
• Hantaro Nagaoka (1865–1950) was a physicist. He suggested a model for the atom that looked like the planet Saturn.
• Masaoka Shiki (1867–1902) was a famous poet. He was one of the "four great masters" of haiku, a type of Japanese poem.
• Tōson Shimazaki (1872–1943) was also a poet and author. He was a key figure in a style of writing called Meiji Romanticism.
• Akiyama Saneyuki (1868–1918) was an admiral in the navy. He helped plan Japan's strategy in the Battle of Tsushima.
• Tamon Yamaguchi (1892–1942) was a Vice Admiral. He commanded the aircraft carrier Hiryū during the Battle of Midway.
• Toshirō Mutō (born 1943) was a Deputy Governor of the Bank of Japan. This is a very important role in managing the country's money.
• Fumio Kishida (born 1957) was the Prime Minister of Japan from 2021 to 2024.
• Chikahiko Koizumi (1884-1945) was a Surgeon Vice-General of Japan.

See also

• List of high schools in Tokyo