Kazunori Yokomine

is a guest character and minor antagonist who appeared in Ultraman Blazar. He is a well-known kaiju research scholar in Japan and the mentor of Gento Hiruma.https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/feature/blazar/JTfNN
==Personality==
Yokomine possesses a reserved and eccentric personality. He possesses extensive and profound knowledge about monsters, and based on this knowledge, he has published multiple research and analysis books about monsters."
Deep within him lies the firm belief that humans and kaijus can coexist peacefully. He sees monsters as an integral part of the natural world, worthy of respect and admiration, even capable of being regarded as "sacred beings." However, he maintains a considerably negative attitude towards humans. He holds onto an anti-anthropocentric and misanthropic ideology, asserting that "humans perceive monsters as a unilateral threat, attempting to eradicate them, all while considering themselves the kaijus of the natural world."
He firmly believed that in the long course of history, humanity stood as the most in need of a "reset." Furthermore, he held the view that in contemporary society, few were willing to believe in kaiju and hold them in awe. Even actions like carrying out missions to eliminate kaiju were, in Yokomine's eyes, equivalent to "disrespecting nature." As a result, he regarded humanity as an irredeemable group, in need of a reset of civilization to return to a previous state in order to create a new civilization with reverence for nature. To uphold this ideology, he was willing to sacrifice his life without hesitation.
Consequently, he decides to utilize the legendary Nijikagachi, which was reportedly used in the 4th century in what is now Hidora City, to "reshape" Japan. He aims to once again "reset" the trajectory of human civilization, attempting to usher the Earth into a new era by force.
==History==
===Pre-Ultraman Blazar===
In 1960, Yokomine was born in Iwate Prefecture. During his childhood, he witnessed his family's small town facing a severe drought. At that time, the villagers held a rain-praying ritual to invoke rainfall, during which he saw a rare phenomenon known as an "upside-down rainbow," a rainbow that appeared like a concave valley in the sky. This phenomenon was regarded by the local residents as an omen of impending rainfall.
Yokomine's grandmother held a profound belief in the significance behind this phenomenon, stating resolutely, "Lord Nijikagachi rules over this expanse of sky, poised to shower the parched earth with the grace of rain. However, should ill intentions reside, that benevolent rain shall transform into fierce storms, bringing disaster. He exists in our midst, capable of bestowing gentle showers or manifesting as a wrathful deity, sweeping all in His wake."
As the villagers' prayers were answered and his grandmother's tale ignited Yokomine's curiosity about legends, it influenced his future research direction, particularly his in-depth exploration of folktales and kaiju.
As an adult, Yokomine smoothly obtained his master's degree from Heijou University and continued his studies in the doctoral program at the same institution. During this period, he embarked on a pioneering academic field — "Kaijuology" — and garnered attention with his 1986 thesis "Reflections on Magular Countermeasures on Tatara Island and the Necessity of its Understanding." In his thesis, he delved deeply into GGF's command strategies in addressing local kaiju incidents, introducing new perspectives to the field and drawing significant attention with his lucid arguments.
Subsequently, he was appointed as a lecturer at Global Guardian University. Scholars of Kaijuology from around the world would participate in his lectures, and the current kaiju countermeasure manual used by GGFJ is based on a draft authored by Yokomine.
However, as his research continued, Yokomine began to strongly believe that many of the Earth's catastrophes over the past few centuries originated from human activities. This concept led him to conceive an idea: to reshape the Earth's order and eradicate the disrespectful behavior of humans towards the natural world. Since 1990, he regularly embarked on journeys to ancient tomb sites across various regions of the Japanese archipelago, dedicated to the quest of finding the seven rainbow-colored bracelets capable of summoning Nijikagachi. Simultaneously, he continued his ongoing research into the descriptions and summoning methods of Nijikagachi found in various historical documents.
During the period from 2014 to 2015, Gento Hiruma became a student in one of his specialized courses, leading to an unexpectedly profound mentor-student relationship nurtured by their shared passion for fishing.
===Ultraman Blazar===
In July 2023, Yokomine collected all seven colored bracelets. After a long trek, he immersed the bracelet worn on his left arm in the local springwater near Mount Fuji. This caused the bracelet to emit a dazzling light and triggered the revival of Nijikagachi.
However, this sequence of events also resulted in a snake-like bruise appearing on his left arm. Nevertheless, it was through this bruise and the bracelet that he gained a unique ability to unleash energy blasts and manipulate Nijikagachi.
Seven days later, as reports of unusual upside-down rainbow phenomena emerged from various parts of the Japanese archipelago, this situation was considered an unprecedented anomaly in the history of modern climate observation. At this juncture, SKaRD speculated that these occurrences might herald the emergence of new kaiju. To ascertain whether these abnormal phenomena were linked to kaiju, Gento personally visited Yokomine, who was fishing at the time, and inquired about these upside-down rainbows occurrences. Yokomine then recounted the legend of Nijikagachi to him.
Subsequently, when Nijikagachi manifested near Mount Fuji, it rapidly absorbed energy from the atmosphere, causing a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure and leading to the formation of rain clouds. This phenomenon triggered the occurrence of seven typhoons encircling the Japanese archipelago. After Teruaki conveyed the pertinent legend of Nijikagachi to Gento, Gento revisited Yokomine. Yokomine posed a question: "What are kaiju to you? Opponents to eliminate?".
In their conversation, Yokomine presented his perspective, suggesting that in the past, humans and kaiju coexisted harmoniously within the natural world. Nijikagachi symbolized this harmony. However, as humans gradually grew averse to kaiju and began to exclude them, this equilibrium started to crumble. He believed that human actions led to the chaos in this scenario, emphasizing that humanity should have stayed on the right path but failed to do so. He insisted that Gento's view represented human arrogance and revealed the seven-colored bracelet on his left arm as he did so, which also disclosed him as the summoner of Nijikagachi.
Nonetheless, Gento could not align with Yokomine's teachings and intended to apprehend Yokomine. Yet, Yokomine unexpectedly fired a beam of light from the bracelet, rendering Gento unconscious before leaving the scene on his own, insisting that he would not stand by and let him stop his plan from being carried out.
Subsequently, Yokomine activated Nijikagachi's battle mode, causing it to emit a powerful rainbow heat ray from its forehead. Witnessing Nijikagachi successfully repel both Earth Garon and Ultraman Blazar with his own eyes, he became deeply convinced that a "A new world begins."
As Nijikagachi continued to rampage across the Japanese archipelago, seven tropical cyclones gradually merged into a super typhoon over time. At midnight, Emi infiltrated Professor Yokomine's laboratory at Heijou University to conduct an investigation. During this process, she discovered information regarding the ritual initially used by Yokomine to awaken the Nijikagachi deity: "First, it is necessary to collect the seven bracelets scattered throughout various regions of Japan. Then, immerse the hands adorned with these bracelets into the Sacred Spring. Subsequently, a serpent-shaped mark will manifest on the hands."
When Gento regained consciousness in his hospital bed, he noticed the serpent-shaped pattern on Yokomine's hand and speculated that there might be some kind of spiritual connection between Nijikagachi and Yokomine. This could potentially be a crucial factor in stopping Nijikagachi. Therefore, the next morning, when SKaRD discovered Yokomine fishing by a river in Hidora City, Gento decided to pursue a dual-pronged strategy. On one hand, they planned to deploy an Earth Garon equipped with a new type of armed railgun to target Nijikagachi and exploit its potential weaknesses. On the other hand, they would attempt to persuade Yokomine, considering that Yokomine's actions could lead to the extinction of all humanity. Hence, Gento emphasized that if they couldn't stop him, they might have to take measures that "might involve taking Yokomine's life if necessary."
Although initially, Gento had intended to personally locate Yokomine and attempt to persuade him, Teruaki volunteered to take on this task. He revealed himself to be a dedicated fan of Yokomine, having delved deeply into several of his books, allowing him to grasp the professor's ideologies and approach the persuasion process with utmost respect. Eventually, leadership of this mission was handed over to Teruaki.
When Teruaki and the group consisting of Emi and Anri found Yokomine, each of them held weapons with the intent to stop him. However, Teruaki initially attempted to persuade Yokomine, saying, "Humans have indeed disrupted nature, but humans are also a part of nature. Isn't trying to eradicate humanity a sacrilege against the Earth's ecosystem?" However, Yokomine responded by stating that Gento had previously presented this viewpoint and remarked, "Extinction of species is a part of the natural order." He had no intention of taking things that far; his goal was merely to dismantle modern civilization so that the surviving humans could establish a new civilization with reverence for nature.
At this moment, Teruaki retrieved Yokomine's book "Eye of the Kaiju" and responded, "The title of this book reflects Yokomine's pure fascination with kaiju, and through the eye of kaiju, you try to find the essence of humanity. While all your works are filled with harsh critiques of humanity, beneath those critiques, I see profound love. Besides you, Professor, it's difficult for me to find someone who treats the human species with such sincerity."
Despite agreeing with Yokomine's viewpoint that humanity should reflect on its actions, Teruaki pointed out that Yokomine, in his pursuits, had disregarded other species, even the existence of other kaiju. He had forgotten that the desire for survival was a common thread among all living beings. Upon hearing Teruaki's words, Yokomine's faith briefly wavered; however, he firmly stated, "You are right, but there can't be two right answers. Between you and me, the wrong side will be eliminated, and the right side will survive!"
In an instant, Yokomine fired a beam of light towards Teruaki, who swiftly evaded the attack and retaliated by shooting, successfully destroying the bracelet. However, Nijikagachi did not cease its activity. Yokomine uttered these words, "The die has been cast; only the gods know the rest." The remnants of the bracelet's power were subsequently absorbed by Nijikagachi, making it even more formidable. It utilized its enhanced rainbow beam to immobilize the already enhanced Earth Garon Mod.2.
When Ultraman Blazar reappeared and engaged in a fierce battle, he eventually soared into the sky, seized the rainbow, and unleashed a new ring-shaped skill, successfully defeating Nijikagachi. Yokomine silently witnessed it all, and after everything had concluded, Teruaki made a request to him, asking for an autograph on one of his books.
Some time later, according to Gento's account, Yokomine eventually turned himself in to the GGF. However, after an investigation, he was released due to insufficient evidence, as the GGF believed it was impossible for a single human to control a kaiju as powerful as Nijikagachi.
Several days after the battle, Yokomine had returned to fish at his favourite spot. As he sat with his fishing rod on the shore of a river, he once again heard the roar of Nijikagachi and displayed a radiant smile.
==Powers and Weapons==
*Seven-Colored Bracelets: A set of seven bracelets, each a different color of the rainbow, which serve as the catalyst for the ritual that summons Nijikagachi. Yokomine had collected them over years after they were hidden across Japan in ancient times.
**Summon: When the seven bracelets are submerged in a holy spring, Nijikagachi will awaken and appear soon after.
**Spiritual Connection: As Nijikagachi's summoner, Yokomine gained a spiritual connection with the kaiju, which allows him to somewhat direct and command it. This connection is physically symbolized by a tattoo-like bruise on Yokomine's arm in the shape of a snake.
**Energy Blast: By concentrating energy into the bracelets, Yokomine can fire an electrical energy blast from his hand that can knock out a human.
**Empowerment: Again concentrating energy into the bracelets, Yokomine is able to unleash Nijikagachi's full potential, shown with the kaiju's armor unfolding to reveal its face, and its body gaining additional purplish-blue accents. It will then be able to lower and raise said armor as needed to protect its face or fire its beam.
**Failsafe: If the bracelets are broken, while Yokomine's link to Nijikagachi will be severed, Nijikagachi will not be weakened or disappear. Instead, the bracelets' remains will merge into a rainbow-colored light and fly back to Nijikagachi, further empowering it and augmenting its rainbow beam with a dark aura.
seven color bracelet.png|Seven-Colored Bracelets
SevenColoredRingsSummon.jpg|Summon
SevenColoredBraceletEnergyBlast.gif|Energy Blast
NijikagachiConnection.gif|Empowerment
NijikagachiEmpowerment.gif|Failsafe
==Gallery==
===Ultraman Blazar===
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===Miscellaneous===
Kazunori Yokomine book.png|Eye of the Kaijus
Kazunori Yokomine Miscellaneous 001.jpeg|Yokomine's writings
seven color bracelet.png|Seven color bracelet
Yokomine The Kaiju Society of Japan.png|Yokomine's identification card for The Kaiju Society of Japan.
==References==
Category:Ultraman Blazar
Category:Ultraman Blazar Characters
Category:Human Characters
Category:Male Characters
Category:Civilians
Category:Human_Villains
Category:Former Villains