__Level:__ Class A, 6. Dan
__Group:__ Shiranami Karuta Society

Hideo Harada is the head of the Shiranami Society for karuta that Chihaya and Taichi are part of. He used to teach Arata as well, while Arata was in primary school with Chihaya and Taichi. He taught Chihaya throughout Junior High School and is currently mentor to both Chihaya and Taichi. He is also a medical doctor and married.

Harada Hideo is portrayed as a kind man with a deep and insightful knowledge of the game of karuta. He states that he teaches his students offensive karuta, which aims to take cards from the opponent's side. He is extremely competitive, whether on behalf of his students or as a competitor himself, or even as a figurehead, representing his karuta society, and is his students' staunchest supporter. 


Chihaya Ayase is a girl who has spent most of her life simply supporting her sister in her model career. That changes when she meets a boy named Arata Wataya, a talented karuta player who recognizes Chihaya's potential to become a great player herself. As Chihaya takes on a new dream of becoming Japan's best karuta player, she is soon separated from her karuta playing friends, Taichi Mashima and Arata Wataya, as they grow up. Now in high school, Chihaya still continues to play karuta in the hope that she will one day meet her friends again. 
 
(Source: Chihayafuru Wikia)

__Height:__ 168 cm (5'6")

[Profile (Aoni)](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/ishizuka-unsho.html) | [Wiki (en)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unshō_Ishizuka) | [Wiki (jp)](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/石塚運昇)

A Japanese actor, voice actor, singer, narrator and theater director from Katsuyama, Fukui, Japan.

Ishizuka was known for his deep, strong voice and was often cast in the role of older mature male characters, such as [Jet Black](https://anilist.co/character/3/) in [Cowboy Bebop](https://anilist.co/anime/1/), [Job Truniht](https://anilist.co/character/19474/) in [Legend of the Galactic Heroes](https://anilist.co/anime/820/), [Van Hohenhaim](https://anilist.co/character/9792/) in [Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood](https://anilist.co/anime/5114/) and [Joseph Joestar](https://anilist.co/character/6356/) in [JoJo's Bizarre Adventure](https://anilist.co/anime/20474/).

On August 17, 2018, it was reported that Ishizuka had died on August 13th due to esophageal cancer.

Non-anime roles:
~!Adray Lasbard in "Star Ocean : Till the End of Time" (VG) (Japanese)
Bunta Fujiwara in "Initial D Arcade Stage 4" (VG) (Japanese)
Bunta Fujiwara in "Initial D: Special Stage" (VG) (Japanese)
Captain Gantu in "Lilo & Stitch" (Japanese)
Captain Hawke in "Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song" (VG) (Japanese)
Captain Jack Bartlett in "Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War" (VG) (Japanese)
Commander Chakotay in "Star Trek: Voyager" (Japanese Dub)
Dakkam in "Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits" (VG) (Japanese)
Diego Argis in "Rogue Galaxy" (VG) (Japanese)
Edward D. Morrison in "Tales of Phantasia -Full Voice Edition-" (VG) (Japanese)
Eugene Gallardo in "Tales of Rebirth" (VG) (Japanese)
Eugene Gallardo in "Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology" (VG) (Japanese)
Guld Goa Bowman in "Macross Plus: Game Edition" (VG) (Japanese)
Jet Black in "Cowboy Bebop" (VG) (Japanese)
Mathews in "Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose" (VG) (Japanese)
Mathews in "Xenosaga" (VG) (Japanese)
Matthews in "Xenosaga Freaks" (VG) (Japanese)
Metagross in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" (VG) (Japanese)
Narrator in "Shiroi Ashita da! Roketto Dan" (Japanese)
Odjn in "Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter" (VG) (Japanese)
Prince Charming in "Shrek 2" (animated movie) (Japanese)
Prince Charming in "Shrek 3" (animated movie) (Japanese)
Ryotaro Dojima in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (VG)
Russ Cargill in "The Simpsons Movie" (DVD version) (Japanese)
Sestren in "Panzer Dragoon Orta" (VG)
Void in "Berserk ~Chapter of the Millenium Falcon - Record of the Holy Evil War Chapter~" (VG) (Japanese)
Zabuza in "Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2" (VG) (Japanese)!~

(Source: Wikipedia)

Now in their second year of high school, Chihaya and her friends share all the fun and worries that come with welcoming underclassmen to the team as they face tough rival schools. The passion of the Mizusawa Karuta Club burns hotter than ever, but with the same refreshing, youthful mood carrying over from the first season. 
(Source: Crunchyroll)

Chihaya is a girl in the sixth grade, still not old enough to even know the meaning of the word zeal. But one day, she meets Arata, a transfer student from rural Fukui prefecture. Though docile and quiet, he has an unexpected skill: his ability to play competitive karuta, a traditional Japanese card game.
 
Chihaya is struck by his obsession with the game, along with his ability to pick out the right card and swipe it away before any of his opponents. However, Arata is transfixed by her as well, all because of her unbelievable natural talent for the game. Don't miss this story of adolescent lives and emotions playing out in the most dramatic of ways!
 
(Source: Kodansha USA)
 
Notes: 
- It won the 2nd Manga Taisho Award and the 35th annual Kodansha Manga Award for Best Shoujo. 
- It was nominated for the 20th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2016.

The manga adapts Yui Tokiumi's spinoff novel series for Yuki Suetsugu's Chihayafuru manga. 
 
The novels feature a series of stories detailing various characters' lives in middle school. (The original manga begins when they are in elementary school and skips to high school.) 
 
(Source: Anime News Network & Be-Love issue 21)

They may have just won their most coveted karuta tournament, but members of the Mizusawa karuta team still have a long way to go. Each member chases their dreams, and with a win under their collective belt, those dreams are closer in reach than ever. Chihaya Ayase is determined to challenge Wakamiya Shinobu and win the title of Queen, and Taichi Mashima is ready to take on Arata Wataya now that he’s made it into the most elite of karuta players — but an unexpected revelation will deal these karuta players a hand none of them saw coming. (Source: Sentai Filmworks)

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