Gyonin Fukuda （1837-1901）

Got the Highest Title of Learning Rank He was The fifteenth priest of the Shoen-ji temple in Jodo sect in Chizuka.
Born in Himi city in Toyama Prefecture.

At 23 he was spiritually awakened at the main temple.
He stayed at the Saikou-ji temple at Himi.

Then he had moved to Nakatsu city in Oita Prefecture. In 1868 at 32 years he changed his name into Fukuda in the Shoen-ji temple.
At that time the Shoen-ji temple was situated in Kajiya. Six years later it moved to Chizuka district (2 kilometers away from Kajiya). A local landowner, Koimai sponsored the main temple and the living quarters.

Gyonin was solemn and intelligent. He taught at Joukei-Kyoko of Shinshu University in Unoshima.
He aided many followers in his private home. There were many of his pupils around the Buzen area. Ryuju Unzan in Usa, Houshun Kiyofuji in Tagawa and Seitei Kato in Kansai area were some of his disciples.

In 1901 he died of a disease. In 1907 he was sent the Kangaku title from the head temple.
The next year his pupils erected a monument of Gyonin in the district.

Ohchi Hirosawa(1862-1934)

Hirosawa was born as the descendant of Joen-bo lodge at the foot of Mt. Kubote.
After graduating from school he studied under Seisai Tsuneto of Zoshunen, a private school in Yakushiji village, about Chinese learning.
For five years from 1882 he had taught at Shinose Elementary School .
In 1892 two schools, Shinose and Kubote branch school, united as the Asagiri Ordinary School at Toriihata.

In 1902 he became a school master of Asagiri and received an award from the Government for excellent school management.
In 1912 the school was renamed as Goyama Ordinary School and he retired in 1921.

Hirosawa had a gentle nature, he was modest and a hard worker.. He was a man of high principles.
He loved poetry and it is said that he composed Chinese poems every day.
In 1921 he was appointed as a chief priest of the Kunitama shrine and he managed to collect many old documents about Shugendo.
In his servitude to a Shinto god he purified his mind and body. Even in the winter season he always took a cold bath before praying at the alter and nobody could touch his white clothes. He carried a lantern every time to go down to the local town and he never stayed at other peoples home.
He excused himself by saying that he had a home of his own and a service to perform in the early morning.
In 1931 he was entrusted as a member of the high ranked Hie shrine.

In 1919 people of Shinose, Toriihata, Kubote and Sange dedicated the Epitaph of Celebration as thanks to his work in the field of education.
He passed away in 1934 aged 73.

Shigeno Kibe (1903-1980)

Born in Hachiya and was one of women's pilots in the early times. She cut her hair and disguised herself in male costume and dedicated her life to flying.
When she was three her family moved to Korea. From her childhood she was a tomboy woman. She went up to Tokyo when she was 20.
She entered Daiichi Aviation School in Tokyo. And she was one of women's pilots of the first stage in Japan with Ms Seiko Hyoudo. In 1927 she got her pilot's license.
And her bromide photographs were published in her dandy style.

In 1928 she was welcomed to return to her hometown and landed on Myojin beach where there were around 5000 spectators. She also flew over 14 towns in the neighborhood and performed aerial loops and spins. In 1937 she went to the China to assist in the development of aviation.

In 1951 she was a staff member of at Tokyo International Airport and provided comprehensive explanations about the layout of the airport.
In this airport she is well known.
In her late life she returned to Buzen and got the sixth Order of Merit that recognized her distinguished services in the aviation field.

Joukei Koimai(1814-1887)

Founder of private school in True Essence of Pure Land.
Joukei was not only a fame businessman but a great volunteer in the Edo and Meiji period. He spent his fortune to save people who were less fortunate and to educate people in this area.

He was born in Nakatsu and moved to Unoshima, Buzen. With his father-in-law he kept a grain business and a distillery. By using his own ships he established direct relations to merchants in Shikoku and Osaka area and contributed the Kokura clan.

When he was 23, after death of father-in-law, he was named for O-joya, country chief in the Edo period, and Okuramoto, a manager of an annual tribute.
For 5 years since 1883 he privately funded the hospital and saved many impoverished people who couldn't receive treatment because of poverty. When Buzen area was ravaged by famine in 1884, he had distributed boiled to starving people for two years.

In 1879 he established the private college, Joukei-Kyoko, by himself, in which many famous priests and Sinologists taught students Buddhism and Chinese classics. He believed in Buddhism, especially Jodo-Shinshu, True Essence of Pure Land, and his religious mind made him establish this college. It is said that over 1500 students (according to epitaph says 3000 students) learned there.

In 1887 he died suddenly while staying in Osaka on business.
In 1917 to admire him people concerned built his statue with string of beads in its left hand. It stands a view of Port of Unoshima he went for toward to build. (It was delivered to the war to make iron arms but later a bust was rebuilt.)

In 1897 his left family donated the land, around 7.3 acres, to make Unoshima Station.

Isao Kozaki (1864-1953)

Both his father and grandfather were distillers. He inherited this occupation as well as brewery which he renamed Kadoya. He held various brewery posts.
He also worked as the president of Chicago, Hachiya, and Unoshima Bank. In 1928 he took the position of three banks' head creating a new Hokuhou Bank. He held this position for 15 years.
In 1912 he became a promoter of the Unoshima railway and worked as a vice-president. In 1920 he established the Chikujo Silk Manufacture. He was also active in the protection of Seri culturists rights.

In the brewery, finances, railway and silk manufacture fields he played an important role. In 1907 he was elected as a member of the prefectural assembly. Three years later he was selected as a chairman. In total he worked as a chairman for 12 years in four terms. In 1923 he ran for the House of Representatives and succeeded in being elected twice.

In the education field for he worked two terms as a prefectural education chairman.
He saw that there was no Senior High School in the Buzen area and so it was his idea that lead to the establishment of Chikujo Chubu Senior High in 1924.

In 1940 he won a Green Ribbon Medal.
He had a bronze statue erected in his honor but it was melted down and used as weaponry during the war. After the war a bust of him was constructed and placed in front of Buzen Citizen's Hall. This bust was made by Soko Nakano.
He passed away in 1984 aged 89.