Tamayoshi Shima

* Anime
* Manga

**Tamayoshi Shima** (志磨 珠義, *Shima Tamayoshi*) is the father of Tamaki Shima, Tamayo Shima, Tamahiko Shima, and Tamako Shima.

## Appearance

Tamayoshi is a tall middle-aged man with greyish black hair and grey eyes. He wears glasses and dresses in a suit at all times.

## Personality

Tamayoshi is a notorious pessimist, believing anything and anyone that doesn't meet expectations is a nuisance and is better off casted off or dead.

Having been raised by parents willing to let their own children suffer, he is power hungry, ruthless, and treats even his own family members horribly, such as forcing his brother's lover to marry him, despite knowing it would devastate Tamasuke, treating his wife with cruelty and never mourning her death, never celebrating his children's birthdays, paying his staff to deal with them, and willing to discard them for any infraction.

Deep down, he suffers from the loss of Yuki, his first childhood love who left him due to his focus on becoming a success rather than living a happy life. After most of his children leaves the family in search of better lives, Tamayoshi begins to understand his cruelty and wonder what he could've done different in his life.

## Background

Tamayoshi was the eldest son of a poor family that struggled to survive. His parents were even willing to let Tamayoshi and his brothers starve just to feed themselves. This planted the seed of desire to be successful at any cost. He studied relentlessly and Yuki, his childhood friend, whom he had feelings for, tried persuading him to just live a happy life but he brushed her off. Once he reached adulthood and she married an wealthier, older man, he was devastated and this made his need for money and power grow stronger.

He went on to accumulate extreme wealth and his family name became one of the most affluent in Tokyo. He married his first wife, who bore him Tamaki and Tamayo. At some point, he kicked his elderly father out of the family but paid him enough money to build him a small house near the family villa in Chiba. When his first wife passed away, Tamayoshi shocked Tamasuke by choosing his lover, Touko, as his second wife. The marriage was extremely unhappy due to how cruelly he treated her and she gave birth to Tamahiko. Three years after Tamahiko's birth, he learned that his wife's youngest son, Tamao, was fathered by Tamasuke from an affair but forced her to keep it a secret and he acknowledged Tamao as his child to protect the Shima family. Despite the adultery, Tamayoshi and Touko had Tamako two years later.

When a car accident killed Touko and left Tamahiko disabled, Tamayoshi was humiliated at having a disabled son and exiled him to the villa. He was later approached by Yuzuki Tachibana, who begged for him to buy her so her family would get money to survive. He agreed to buy her for ¥10,000 if she became a caregiver and potential wife for Tamahiko.

## Plot

### Taisho Otome Fairy Tale

Tamayoshi sends Tamahiko a letter, informing him that he has had Tamahiko declared dead in order to save face for the Shima family and to improve his siblings' marriage prospects. This causes Tamahiko to sink into a deep depression at having been further abandoned by his father.

During Tamako's stay at Tamahiko's villa, she phoned her father to tell him that she has decided to become a doctor and asked for his permission to stay with Tamasuke so she could learn how to become one. To her and Tamahiko's surprise, Tamayoshi agrees. According to Tamako, Tamayoshi believed having a daughter of the Shima as a doctor would improve her marriage prospects.

Tamayoshi and Tamayo arrive at Tamasuke's hospital to have him treat Tamaki, who was injured after the Great Kanto Earthquake. Tamasuke is wary of his brother but Tamayoshi notices Tamahiko with Yuzuki, who was hospitalized for being injured during the disaster. Tamayoshi insults his son by suggesting he stay dead. He also lets Tamayo stir up trouble by insulting Yuzuki and making snide remarks about the earthquake survivors. Tamasuke defends Tamahiko from Tamayoshi’s insults and recommends another doctor to Tamayoshi in order to send the two away.

Tamayoshi becomes concerned about Tamaki's fate and if he will be fit to be the next head of the family if he survives. Should Tamaki be deemed unfit or dies, Tamayoshi decides to reinstate Tamahiko as a member of the family and prepare him as the next heir. He decides to have him return to school and picks out a high school, which makes Tamahiko suspicious as to why his father would suddenly take an interest in his education after declaring him dead.

After Tamaki passes away, Tamayoshi and his four remaining children attend the funeral. He surprises Tamahiko by apologizing to him for faking his death. He explains losing a child made him realize how painful losing someone is. However, it is revealed this was a facade to manipulate Tamahiko into returning to the family, as he is now in need of a new heir. Tamayoshi sends Tamayo to the villa to fetch Yuzuki, intending to separate her from Tamahiko and find his son a more suitable bride, and pair her up with Tamao. Tamahiko is enraged when he learns this and confronts his father, announcing he is leaving the family for good in order to marry Yuzuki. Tamayoshi doesn't take him seriously and doesn't believe his son would abandon the wealth and privilege that comes with being the next head of the family. He is taken aback when Tamahiko replies that had he not been in the accident and met Yuzuki, he would've succeeded as head of the family and become the same ruthless man Tamayoshi is. Tamayoshi agrees to let Tamahiko leave the family but must leave Yuzuki because she is his property, and reveals he planned to let his son keep her as a concubine if he became the next head of the family. Tamahiko makes a contract in which he will repay the ¥10,000 debt so he can keep Yuzuki. Before leaving, Tamahiko thanks his father for sending him away because he was able to meet Yuzuki and make friends. Tamahiko bids his father farewell, which reminds Tamayoshi of the last words Yuki said before they parted ways. Tamayoshi says this is no different than before he became wealthy. He further wonders how different his life could've been.

Tamayoshi is despaired at having lost all of his sons and is comforted by Tamayo, who suggests that he make her his heir.

### Shōwa Otome Otogi Banashi

A couple of years later, Tamayoshi passed away from unknown causes and indeed made Tamayo the new head of the family. It is unknown but very unlikely he ever reconciled with Tamahiko and Tamako nor met his grandson Tsukihiko.

## Relationships

### Yuki

Tamayoshi was childhood friends with her and he deeply loved Yuki, dreaming of marrying her but his obsession with becoming rich seemingly drove her away and she married an older wealthy man, which devastated him.

### Tamasuke Manabe

Tamayoshi and his brother have a very bad relationship due to that Tamayoshi forced Tamasuke's lover, Touko, to leave Tamasuke and marry him. Tamasuke never forgave his brother for this. Tamayoshi still expects Tamasuke to bend to his command, despite Tamasuke having cut off ties to the family.

### Touko Shima

Touko was Tamayoshi's second wife but beforehand, she was his brother's lover. After their forced marriage, he was cruel towards her and this at one point drove her to briefly run back to Tamasuke before Tamayoshi forced her to return to him. After she passed away, he didn't mourn her.

### Tamaki Shima

Tamayoshi only expressed interest in his eldest son as his heir and taught him the importance of money and status. He sought medical treatment when Tamaki was injured during an earthquake and showed concern if Tamaki would recover. He seemed to have shown sadness when Tamaki passed away but this was shown to be a facade.

### Tamayo Shima

Tamayoshi ignored his eldest daughter during her childhood but he did visit her after an accident when she was a child and he helped her become an affluent member of the family. She comforted him after all of his sons left the family and she convinced him to name her as his heir, which he did when he passed away. Out of all his children, she is just as ruthless as her father.

### Tamahiko Shima

Tamayoshi was embarrassed when Tamahiko was left disabled from a car accident, preferring his son was dead and banished him to save face for the family. He decides to bring Tamahiko back only when Tamaki passes away for his second son to automatically become the new heir. However, when Tamahiko leaves the family to marry Yuzuki, Tamayoshi is left surprised and despaired at losing not one but two of his sons. It is implied that this caused him to realize his cruelty and neglect of his family.

### Tamako Shima

Tamayoshi ignored his youngest daughter all her life and even paid subordinates to amuse her for him. He treated her coldly, which caused her to have contempt and fear towards him. However, he had no qualms about her becoming a doctor and didn't seem to care when she left the family to pursue her dream.

### Tamao Shima

Tamayoshi knew Tamao was not his biological son and referred to him as the unwanted child. However, he openly acknowledged the boy as his own to protect the family.

### Yuzuki Tachibana

Tamayoshi bought Yuzuki for the purpose of taking care of Tamahiko and being his bride. It’s not known if he intended for her to actually marry Tamahiko and be solely a caregiver. Yuzuki was taken aback by Tamayoshi’s indifference towards his son. Tamayoshi was later equally taken aback that Tamahiko chose to abandon the family to be with Yuzuki.

## Etymology

* The name **Tamayoshi** means "bead, pearl, gem, jewel" (珠) (**tama**) and "righteous" (義) (**yoshi**).

## Trivia

* It is because of Tamayoshi's lack of empathy, ruthlessness, and habit of trampling over people to become wealthy that earned him the nickname *Rakshasa*.
* In addition, because of him teaching these traits to his children, the Shima family became known as the *Rakshasa Clan*.