Father Hamada--supporting character; samurai for The Daimyo (retired); Father of Mitsui and Matsuo; husband of Mother; drunk

Once one of the best of The Daimyo’s samurai, an injury suffered in battle forced Mitsui’s father into retirement.  Instead of enjoying the honor such a retirement could bring, he descends into bitterness and drunken resentment, taking his anger out on his family.  He sees the younger samurai strutting around the city and yearns to see his only son, Matsuo, take his place among them.  When Matsuo is beaten in a fight during training, he accuses him of bringing dishonor and shame upon the family and exiles him to a monastery (“. . . he can fight with a broom and a begging bowl!”).  When Mitsui vows to regain the family’s honor by defeating the one who beat Matsuo, he scoffs and mocks her.  But, when she is up before the sun every day, trying to teach herself to fight, he has no choice but to train her.  And, when he finally realizes that she has the will, the spirit, the warrior soul that he wanted for his son, he has no choice but to admit that she is, indeed, the better warrior.  This knowledge does not come easy.  Nor is he going to make it easy for her.  But, Mitsui is not the only one with lessons to learn.