Benio Hanamura

The haikara of the title is Benio Hanamura a 17yearold schoolgirl in Tokyo circa 1920 during the Taish era. Benio lost her mother when she was very young and has been raised by her father a highranking official in the Japanese army. As a result she has grown into a tomboy contrary to traditional Japanese notions of femininity she studies kendo drinks sake dresses in often outlandishlooking Western fashions instead of the traditional kimono and isnt as interested in housewife duties as she is in literature. She also rejects the idea of arranged marriages and believes in a womans right to a career and to marry for love. Benios best friends are the beautiful Tamaki who is much more feminine than Benio but equally interested in womens rights and Ranmaru a young man who was raised to play female roles in the kabuki theater and as a result has acquired very effeminate mannerisms. Source: Wikipedia