Hikaru No Go/Characters

Sub-page of HikaruNoGo

This page lists characters from the anime and manga series Hikaru no Go.

Characters are organized by their family names. Characters with unspecified family names are organized by the known names - i.e. Tamako-Sensei is listed under "T" as her family name is unknown. Some characters are organized into groups; Ito, Kojima, and Okumura are all described in the "Mean Kids" entry.

Warning: This page has spoilers!

On naming

Many Asian countries, Japan included, place the person's family name before their given name, for example Go Seigen. Sensei's Library uses the Asian ordering exclusively (see Japanese name).

However, this page and other Hikaru no Go pages use given name first, family name last ordering for most of the characters to be consistent with Hikaru no Go manga published in the United States, Canada, France, Italy and Germany. It is hoped that this choice will facilitate the use of Sensei's Library by individuals for whom reading the manga is their first exposure to Go.

The manga uses Western order naming with modern-day individuals and Japanese naming with historical figures. Perhaps the most prominent example of the historical figure naming is Murasaki Shikibu (Asian order) in place of Shikibu Murasaki (Western order). Murasaki Shikibu is the author of the famous Japanese novel The Tale of Genji. Chinese individuals (such as Lee Rinshin) have their names rendered in Asian order in the English-language version of Hikaru no Go. Korean individuals (such as Suyong Hong) have their names rendered in Western order.

In one scene in the English-language Volume 7, several characters are introduced at a Go ceremony in Japanese order - VIZ Media added the note that professional Japanese Go players are known in family name first order, even outside of Japan.

Table of contents

Characters

A

  • Adachi - Adachi, a participant in the professional tournament, takes 14 wins and 6 losses before Game 21.
  • Akota (阿古田) or Mr. Akota (阿古田さん Akota-san) - A bully at a Go class who turns a new leaf after playing Go with Akari Fujisaki.
  • Amano (天野) a.k.a. Mr. Amano (天野さん Amano-san) - A reporter for the "Go Weekly". Amano believes that Hikaru is overrated at first. After witnessing a miraculous comeback from Hikaru, Amano changes his mind.
  • Aoki (青木) - An upperclassman at Kaio Middle School who is ashamed after he is defeated by Akira Toya. This angers Ito and Kojima.
  • Hiroyuki Ashiwara (芦原 弘幸 Ashiwara Hiroyuki) - The youngest pupil of Toya Meijin and one of Akira's friends.

C

  • Chao Shi - See Zhao Shi

D

  • Dake (だけ), a.k.a. Dake-san (だけさん) or Mr. Dake - Dake-san is hired by Shu to get Yuki Mitani to stop cheating. Dake poses as a regular at Shu's Go salon and hides his own strength to snare Yuki. Dake-san bets money on the game, reveals his strength, and defeats Yuki. He forces Yuki to give him 10,000 yen (about 90 United States dollars). Hikaru Shindo and Fujiwara-no-Sai are angered by Dake-san's actions and defeat him (see Dake-san Game). The pair win 10,000 yen and give it to Yuki. Dake-san likes to sing romantic songs while playing Go.

F

  • Akari Fujisaki (藤崎 あかり Fujisaki Akari) - Hikaru's childhood friend. She begins to learn Go as well when Hikaru becomes interested and later joins the Haze Middle School Go club, serving as captain of the girls' team.
  • Fujiwara-no-Sai (藤原佐為) - The deuteragonist. He is a spirit who cannot stop playing Go and the mentor of Hikaru Shindo. Sai wants to play the divine move (a.k.a. the Hand of God). In the manga and anime, Sai had possessed the real-life figure Hon'inbo Shusaku and through his body, became the world`s best go player of all time. Extremely effeminate by today's standards, Sai is often drawn with traditionally feminine features and mannerisms, and many fans sometimes mistakenly call him a "she" in passing only to correct themselves after realizing their mistake.

http://www.just-text.org/artofgo/fukui.jpg
Yuta "Fuku" Fukui

  • Yuta Fukui (福井 雄太 Fukui Yūta), nicknamed "Fuku" (フク) - Yuta Fukui is an insei and one of Yoshitaka Waya's fellow classmates. Fukui has a good temper, which contrasts with Waya's hot temper.

G

  • Yongha Go - See "Yongha Ko"
  • Gokiso (御器曽) - A 5 dan professional Go player who insists that a local go festival replace its traditional equipment vendor with another picked by Gokiso. The new vendor sells Shin Kaya boards as Kaya and offers for sale a go board bearing a forged signature claiming to be that of Hon'inbo Shusaku. During teaching games, Gokiso cruelly mauls an amateur player. When the amateur resigns, Sai demands that Hikaru take up the game against Gokiso on condition that the forged board will be removed from the sales display should Gokiso lose the continued game. Sai easily defeats Gokiso.

H

  • Yuri Hidaka (日高 由梨 Hidaka Yuri) - Hidaka is a third year Kaio Middle School student. She defends Akira Toya when he is bullied by three fellow Kaio students. Hidaka hates all kinds of bullying.
  • Suyong Hong (洪秀英 Japanese: Hon Suyon, Korean Hangul: 홍수영, Hanja?: 洪秀英, RR: Hong Su-yeong, M-R: Hong Su-yŏng) - A Korean yeonguseng (the Korean version of an insei) who plays the Hikaru Shindo - Suyong Hong Game with Hikaru. Many unofficial Hikaru no Go websites and scanlations romanize his name as Hon Suyon in Korean order.
  • Toshinori Honda (本田敏則 Honda Toshinori) - Honda is a strong insei who almost makes the top three players in the professional exam.
  • Yumi Hotta (堀田 由美 Hotta Yumi, but usually ほったゆみ) - The creator of Hikaru no Go's story. She makes cameo appearances in the manga.
  • Yuta Hukui - See "Yuta Fukui"

I

  • Harumi Ichikawa (市河 晴美 Ichikawa Harumi), a.k.a. Ms. Ichikawa (Ichikawa-san, 市河さん) - Ichikawa is the cashier of the Go club that Akira Toya teaches at. She feels saddened when Akira leaves the club to become a better Go player.
  • Ichiryu (一柳 Ichiryū) - Ichiryu, the Kisei of Hikaru no Go, plays against Akira. Ichiryu has the internet screen name "Ichiryu".
  • Ryo Iijima (飯島良 Iijima Ryō) - An insei who notices Hikaru's growth. Iijima possesses outrage when he learns from Waya that Waya's group helped Hikaru by taking him to Go salons, because of the fact that Hikaru was the whole group's "competition" for obtaining the status of a Go professional. Iijima later decides to quit.
  • Ikeshita - A member of Sawara Middle School's Go team. He faces off against Tetsuo Kaga of Haze Middle School during the second round of the Kita Ward Middle School Go Tournament. Ikeshita is easily trounced by Tetsuo. When a Sawara teacher makes a misleading suggestion to Ikeshita, Tetsuo demonstrates that the suggestion would not have saved Ikeshita and resigning was the correct choice.
  • Imanishi (今西) - An insei who is frustrated after losing to Hikaru. It is revealed that his grades are suffering due to his devotion to Go.
  • Shinichiro Isumi (伊角 慎一郎 Isumi Shin'ichirō) - Insei that has a lot of self doubt during the Go professional examination.
  • Ito - See "Mean Kids"

K

  • Tatsuhiko Kadowaki (門脇龍彦 Kadowaki Tatsuhiko) - Kadowaki is a former Go champion who won the collegiate Meijin, Hon'inbo, and Juketsu titles. At 26 years of age, Kadowaki wishes to become active in Go again and pass the professional examination. Sai plays for Hikaru and trounces Kadowaki. After the short game with Hikaru, Kadowaki decides to train for a year before taking the professional examination. Kadowaki is surprised when Hikaru calls him "Pops" (Oji-san in the Japanese version) despite the fact that Kadowaki is in his twenties. Hikaru plays Kadowaki again in Volume 19.
  • Tetsuo Kaga (加賀 鉄男 Kaga Tetsuo) - President of Haze Middle School's Shogi club. Tetsuo hates Go because he likes Shogi better and because Akira is better than he is, yet he still plays Go from time to time to keep his skills limber. Tetsuo smokes cigarettes, which were kept in the earlier U.S. Shonen Jump versions of Hikaru no Go, but were removed from the U.S. graphic novels and the later (as of 2005) Shonen Jump versions.
  • Masako Kaneko (金子正子 Kaneko Masako) - Kaneko is a Haze Middle School student who is in the Go club. She also plays Volleyball. She is often addressed as Kaneko-san (金子さん) in the Japanese versions.
  • Katagiri - Katagiri is a participation in the professional tournament for insei. Katagiri, bearing 14 wins and 6 losses, plays against Hikaru. After losing, Katagiri decides to leave the tournament, citing that "The top five can't be taken down."
  • Kawai (河合) - Kawai is a taxi driver who is defeated by Hikaru. Kawai is a supporter of Hikaru.
  • Kim (金 or キム, Japanese: Kimu, Korean RR: Gim, M-R: Kim) - A Korean Go player.
  • Kaoru Kishimoto (岸本 薫 Kishimoto Kaoru) - Kaio Middle School Go club chief and former insei who did not become a professional. Kishimoto reads the opponent's habits and weaknesses and attack them directly. His way of speaking and carrying himself do not resemble those of a 9th grader. As an insei, he was known more for drinking black coffee than his Go ability. Kishimoto likes to drink black coffee as he did when he was an insei. Kishimoto's name is similar to the name of a real life Go player named Iwamoto Kaoru (岩本 薫 Iwamoto Kaoru).
  • Kitajima a.k.a. Mr. Kitajima - A player at a Go salon who tells Ms. Ichikawa to call Akira "Sensei". Akira later states that he would feel awkward if Ms. Ichikawa called him "Sensei".
  • Yongha Ko (高永夏, Japanese: Ko Yonha, Korean Hangul: 고영하, Hanja: 高永夏, RR: Go Yeong-ha, M-R: Ko Yŏng-ha) - A player on the Korean Go team in the International Youth Go Tournament. Ko accidentally insults Hon'inbo Shusaku's style of Go and recieves an angry response from Hikaru Shindo. Ko decides to play a game of Go against Hikaru. Ko barely wins against Hikaru.
  • Hitoshi Koike (小池仁志 Koike Hitoshi) - A member of the Haze Go Club.
  • Kojima - See "Mean Kids"
  • Komiya - Komiya, a participant in the professional tournament, takes 15 wins and 5 losses before Game 21.
  • Kuno - A member of the Kaio Middle School Go team who defeats Kimihiro Tsutsui in the Summer Middle School Go tournament.
  • Shosuke Kurimoto (栗本正助 Kurimoto Shōsuke) - An assemblyman who wishes for his Go teachers to let him win during games.
  • Kurimoto's Assistant - Kurimoto's best Go player
  • Kuwabara Hon'inbo (桑原本因坊 Kuwabara Hon'inbō)- The current holder of the Hon'inbo title in Hikaru no Go. Kuwabara is friends with Toya Meijin.

L

  • Le Ping (楽 平, Japanese: Rei Pin, Chinese Hanyu Pinyin: Lè Píng) - A Chinese Go player who faces off against Shinichiro Isumi, also bears an uncanny resemblance to Yoshitaka Waya.
  • Lee Rinshin (李臨新, Japanese: Ri Rinshin, Chinese Hanyu Pinyin: Lǐ Línxīn) - A Chinese professional Go player. Lee plays Go with Fujiwara-no-Sai (who uses the screen name "sai") over the internet and loses. He is among the many Go players in the international Go community who speculate about "sai"'s identity. Lee has the same given name as Chen Linxin ("Rinshin" is a Japanized form of "Linxin"), a real life Chinese professional Go player.

M

  • Mitsura Mashiba (真柴充 Mashiba Mitsura), or Mashiba-san (真柴さん) - One of Isumi's opponents in the Young Lions Tournament. Isumi defeats Mashiba. Mashiba studies under Hiroshi Mizoguchi 9-dan.
  • Ito (伊藤 Itō), Kojima (小島), and Okumura (奥村), a.k.a. Mean Kids - The family names of three pupils who dislike Akira Toya's presence in the Kaio Middle School Go club; they bully him by making him play two games at the same time without looking at the boards. Yuri Hidaka tells Akira to ignore the challenge; Akira decides to look at the boards and defeat the bullies.
  • Yuki Mitani (三谷 祐輝 Mitani Yūki) - A player at the Go Club at Haze Middle School who overcomes his cheating habit.
  • Mitani's Older Sister (三谷の姉 Mitani no Ane) / Yuki's Older Sister - She is the sister of Yuki Mitani. She works at an internet café and lets Hikaru go on the computers for free during her shifts. She helps Hikaru with his English. The name used to describe Yuki's sister is different in the English version since Yuki Mitani is usually called by his given name, "Yuki", in the English versions. In the Japanese versions Yuki is referred to by his family name, "Mitani" - therefore his sister is called "Mitani's sister" in the Japanese versions.
  • Shigeo Morishita (森下 茂男 Morishita Shigeo), a.k.a. Morishita Sensei (森下先生) or Mr. Morishita - A man who became a professional Go player at the same time that Toya Meijin became a professional. Morishita is Waya's go teacher when Waya first appears. Morishita also mentored Michio Shirakawa (7-dan), the community Go leader.
  • Moriyama (森山) - A member of Hawahagi Middle School's Go team. He faces off against Tetsuo Kaga during the first round of the Winter Kita Ward Middle School Go tournament. Moriyama makes snide remarks at Tetsuo based off of the fact that Tetsuo is from the shogi club and is in the "first" position of the Haze Go team. Tetsuo predicts that he would defeat Moriyama in ten minutes. Moriyama is shocked when Tetsuo's prediction becomes true; Hawahagi ultimately loses 2 - 1 against Haze.
  • Shinichi Murakami (村上 信一 Murakami Shin'ichi) - A competitor in the Young Lions Tournament who faces Hikaru.

N

  • Asumi Nase (奈瀬明日美 Nase Asumi) - Nase is one of the first class insei Hikaru studies and plays with. She often wears a sweatshirt that has "LSU" printed on it.
  • Natsume (夏目) - A member of Haze Middle School's Go Club.

O

  • Takeshi Obata (小畑 健 Obata Takeshi) - Takeshi Obata makes cameo appearances in the graphic novels.
  • Kosuke Ochi (越智 康介 Ochi Kōsuke) - talented insei who passes with Hikaru and Waya for the Pro Exam and who Akira tutors so Akira can test Hikaru's strength.
  • Ochi's Grandfather - Pays Akira Toya money in order to tutor Kosuke Ochi.
  • Seiji Ogata (緒方 精次 Ogata Seiji, 10-dan) - Ogata is a Go professional. He realizes Hikaru's talent as he explains Hikaru's Go moves that baffle professionals. Ogata smokes cigarettes and maintains a "mysterious" aura.
  • Okumura - See "mean kids"

R

  • Rii Rinshin - See "Lee Rinshin"

S

  • Koji Saeki (冴木光二 Saeki Kōji) - A professional Go player.
  • Chieko Sakurano (桜野 千恵子 Sakurano Chieko) - A female professional Go player who visits China and meets Isumi. She calls Isumi "Shin-chan". In the Japanese version of the anime Atsuko Yuya is her voice actor.
  • Heihachi Shindo (進藤平八 Shindō Heihachi) - Hikaru's grandfather.
  • Hikaru Shindo (進藤 ヒカル Shindō Hikaru) - Protagonist who is assisted by Sai.
  • Masao Shindo (進藤正夫 Shindō Masao) a.k.a. Hikaru's Dad (ヒカルの父 Hikaru no Chichi) - Hikaru's father. Masao Shindo is largely absent from the household as many Japanese fathers do not have time to see their children due to work.
  • Mitsuko Shindo (進藤美津子 Shindō Mitsuko) a.k.a. Hikaru's Mom (ヒカルの母 Hikaru no Haha) - Hikaru's mother
  • Michio Shirakawa (白川七段 Shirakawa Michio) a.k.a. Shirakawa Sensei (白川先生) - A 7-dan Go player and the community Go leader. He was mentored by Morishita. A member of Morishita's study group and a community go teacher. He is a gentle and easy-going teacher, and like many other characters he has a real-life "avatar". Ishikura Noboru says in one of his books that this character was based on him.
  • Shu (修 Shū) or Shu-san (修さん Shū-san) - The owner of a Go salon that Yuki frequents. Shu realizes that Yuki is cheating at the salon and hires Dake-san to correct Yuki.
  • Hon'inbo Shusaku (本因坊秀策 Hon'inbō Shūsaku) - Sai's previous host, who became a well-known Go player.

T

  • Takada (高田) - A neighbor of Hikaru who exposes Hikaru as a sixth grader at the Kita Ward Winter Go Tournament.
  • Tamako (タマコ) a.k.a. Tamako Sensei (タマコ先生) - The science teacher who allows the Haze Middle School Go Club to use her room. Tamako is her given name; some Japanese teachers are known on a given name basis. Her family name is not knowns.
  • Akira Toya (塔矢 アキラ Tōya Akira) - Either the tritadonist or antagonist. Akira is Hikaru’s biggest rival and Kaio Middle School student. Akira is already a very strong player when Hikaru first begins playing. Akira is amazed by Hikaru’s seemingly impossible strength. Since his first game with Hikaru, Akira has been obsessed with discovering the secret behind Hikaru's strength.
  • Akiko Toya (塔矢明子 Tōya Akiko) a.k.a. Akira's Mom (アキラの母 Akira no Haha) - Akira's mother and Toya Meijin’s (Koyo Toya) wife.
  • Toya Meijin (塔矢 名人 Tōya Meijin) - Akira Toya’s father. His real name is Koyo Toya (塔矢 行洋 Tōya Kōyō); Meijin is a title he received for defeating the best Go players in Japan.
  • Toshiro Tsubaki (椿俊郎 Tsubaki Toshirō) - An older go player who applied for the Go test. He plays against and defeats Hikaru during the test. Tsubaki has a large beard and is very loud; Tsubaki easily intimidates Hikaru. Once Hikaru plays more games, Tsubaki no longer intimidates him and the two become friends. Before playing against Yoshitaka Waya, Tsubaki bears 13 wins and 7 losses. After his loss to Waya, due to his age he will no longer eligible for participating in the pro tournament, asks Hikaru to win in his place. He is nicknamed “Gorilla Man” because of his large size and loud voice.
  • Kumiko Tsuda (津田久美子 Tsuda Kumiko) - A member of the Haze Go Club.
  • Kimihiro Tsutsui (筒井 公宏 Tsutsui Kimihiro) - Optimistic nerd who relies on a strategy book. Kimihiro is the founder of Haze Middle School’s Go club. More of a strategist than a real player, Kimihiro prefers the intellectual pursuits of Go more than its nature as a game.

U

  • Uchida - A female insei who defeats Hikaru during his first game as an insei.

W

  • Yoshitaka Waya (和谷 義高 Waya Yoshitaka) - Hikaru's "big brother" insei.

Y

  • Yang Hai (楊 海, Japanese: Yan Hai, Chinese Hanyu Pinyin: Yáng Hǎi) - Yang is a top Chinese professional Go player who hosts Isumi at his apartment. Yang can speak many languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and English.
  • Kiyoharu Yashiro (社清春 Yashiro Kiyoharu) - A professional Go player from the Kansai region. Yashiro, along with Akira and Hikaru, represents Japan in the International Youth Go Tournament.
  • Yun (尹 or ゆん, Japanese: Yun, Korean Hangul: 윤, Hanja?: 尹, RR: Yun, M-R: Yun) a.k.a. Yun Sensei (尹先生 or ゆん先生) - Yun is a Korean Go professional. Yun tutors Akira shortly after the winter middle school Go tournament so Akira can defeat Hikaru. Yun Sensei shares his family name with Yun Yeong-seon, a real-life Korean professional Go player.

Z

  • Zama (座間), a.k.a. Zama Oza (座間王座 Zama Ōza) - The current holder of the Oza title. Akira Toya plays against him in the Yugen no Ma, a room in the Japan Go Association (Nihon Ki-in) building. Akira loses after a vicious struggle.
  • Zhao Shi (趙 石, Japanese: Chao Shii, Chinese Hanyu Pinyin: Zhào Shí) - Zhao Shi studies with Le Ping. He later becomes the third member of the Chinese Go team in the Hokuto Cup.

Hikaru No Go/Characters last edited by Jono64a on July 24, 2024 - 02:16
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