Shank's Mare (Tokaidochu Hizakurige) Characters
At the heart of Shank's Mare are its two heroes, Yaji and Kita. The innkeepers, thieves, and teahouse couples they meet along the road only make their blunders bigger. Here is a guide to who the main characters are and what they do in the story, based on the chapters published so far.
All characters6
Yajirobei (Yaji) Tochimenya Yajirobei
The know-it-all hero of the road
Yajirobei is the main hero of Jippensha Ikku's Shank's Mare (Tokaidochu Hizakurige), a man who walks from Edo to the Ise Shrine with his companion Kitahachi. He is…
Appears in 5 episodes: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5Kitahachi (Kita) Kitahachi
The reckless but lovable young sidekick
Kitahachi is the other hero of Shank's Mare (Tokaidochu Hizakurige), the young companion who travels with Yajirobei. He is widely known as "Kita-san." Once a traveling…
Appears in 5 episodes: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5The Road Swindler Goma no Hai
A thief who poses as a kindly traveler
A goma no hai is a thief who poses as a friendly fellow traveler to get close to people on the road, then steals their money or belongings. In Shank's Mare, the man who…
Appears in 1 episode: Episode 3The Odawara Innkeeper The Innkeeper of Odawara
The inn owner who makes them pay for the broken bath
The Odawara Innkeeper is the owner of the inn in Odawara where Yaji and Kita stay in Shank's Mare. He is never named, but he is the pair's opposite in the goemon bath…
Appears in 1 episode: Episode 2The Yam-Soup Shop Husband The Teahouse Keeper of Mariko
The tororo soup seller who starts a marital brawl
The Yam-Soup Shop Husband is the owner of a teahouse in Shank's Mare that serves tororo soup, a specialty made from grated yam, in the post town of Mariko (also known…
Appears in 1 episode: Episode 4The Yam-Soup Shop Wife The Teahouse Wife of Mariko
The teahouse wife who gives as good as she gets
The Yam-Soup Shop Wife is the woman who runs a teahouse serving tororo soup with her husband in the post town of Mariko in Shank's Mare. She is never named, but she is…
Appears in 1 episode: Episode 4