# Father — A Daughter of the Samurai character guide > Father in A Daughter of the Samurai by Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Honourable Father, Presently Father **First appearance:** 0003-a-daughter-of-the-samurai ## Snapshot A samurai lord whose last words to his wife — 'I trust you with my sword' — become the inheritance his daughter carries across the sea. ## Who they are Father is often absent, traveling on duties that keep him from his family, but his presence is felt in every rule of the household. When war clouds gather he is taken prisoner, and his brief meeting with Mother through the palanquin's window reveals a man who trusts his wife with everything he cannot say aloud. His early death leaves Etsu with an ideal of samurai integrity she spends her life trying to live up to. ## Relationships ### [Mother](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/characters/mother) _family_ Husband and wife, deeply traditional and supportive of each other within the samurai household. ### [Brother](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/characters/brother) _family_ Son and father, with the brother upholding samurai duties under the father's authority. ### [Hanano](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/characters/hanano) _family_ Father and daughter, with the father being a stern but loving patriarch. ### [Jiya](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/characters/jiya) _professional_ Master and servant, with Jiya being a loyal retainer to the father. ### [Mother](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/characters/mother) _family_ Husband and wife, deeply traditional and supportive of each other within the samurai household. ### [Mother](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/characters/mother) _family_ Husband and wife, deeply traditional and supportive of each other within the samurai household. ### [Hanano](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/characters/hanano) _family_ Father and daughter, with the father being a stern but loving patriarch. ## In the story ### [A Daughter of the Samurai](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/a-daughter-of-the-samurai) Mentioned as a respected samurai who brings Western books into the household. ### [I: Winters in Echigo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/i-winters-in-echigo) A former karo who rebuilt the family home, planted mulberry groves, and made annual trips to Tokyo for progressive ideas. ### [Days of Kan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/iii-days-of-kan) He selects a scholarly priest as Etsu-bo's teacher and upholds the samurai ideal of rigorous training, comparing it to a lioness pushing her cub over a cliff. ### [The Old and the New](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/iv-the-old-and-the-new) Orders the household to eat meat on a physician's advice, seeking strength and Western-style health for his family. ### [Falling Leaves](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/v-falling-leaves) Leads the celebration on horseback despite his declining health; later travels to Tokyo for Western medical treatment. ### [The Wedding That Never Was](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/vii-the-wedding-that-never-was) Though deceased, his memory and the letter he left for his son play a key role in the brother's reinstatement. ### [The Story of a Marionette](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/ix-the-story-of-a-marionette) He humorously bows to the narrator when she wears the dress with the Satsuma crest, revealing deeper emotions. ### [XIII: Foreigners](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/xiii-foreigners) His death-name is kept by Etsu-bo; monthly memorial services are held in his honor. ### [Lessons](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/xiv-lessons) Brought Etsu-bo a set of translated Western books from Tokyo, which became a cherished inspiration. ### [How I Became a Christian](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/xv-how-i-became-a-christian) Tolerant of others' opinions, he answers Etsu's question about ancestors with Confucian wisdom; walks with her during airing days explaining old artifacts. ### [Strange Customs](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/xviii-strange-customs) Mentioned in a memory of bringing Turkish towels from the capital for the maids. ### [Worthless Treasures](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/chapters/xxxi-worthless-treasures) Mentioned as the user of the palanquin on official trips and as having a pragmatic view of the saihai's healing paper. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/characters/father - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_daughter_of_the_samurai_se/characters