Hajime Tsukishima

age

33

height

1.65 cm

rank

sergeant

equipment

Arisaka Type 30 Rifle (holds five rounds)

family

Chiyo Harumi (ex fiancée; dead) father (dead)

appearance

Tsukishima is a short but thickset, muscular man, with dark hair shaved in a buzz cut, dark eyes with a slight greenish tint to it, and stubble on his chin. His most significant physical traits are the two lines under his eyes and a short flat nose that he inherited from his mother. Just like the rest of the 7th Division soldiers, he wears the standard Japanese military uniform and a hooded coat over it. Tsukishima has a scar on his abdomen that he received while protecting Tsurumi from an explosion during the Battle of Mukden. He is brutal and efficient in a fight, willing to put himself into the fray and end the conflict as quickly as possible, whether that means kicking an animal off of his superior's back or just throwing bombs to clear out as many people as physically possible. By Tsukishima's own admittance, he is willing to dirty his own hands in order to get the necessary results that he desires

childhood friend romance

Tsukishima was ostracized and bullied as a child because of his father. Although nothing is specified, Tsukishima was called a murderer's son. Tsukishima already hated his father, but when the latter spread rumors about him being dead, leading to the su1c1de of Tsukishima's girlfriend, he beats him to death.

the lost lenore

Tsukishima was in love with an Chiyo Harumi whom he promised to marry after the Sino-Japanese war he went to. However when he returned to his hometown, he discovered that she came to believe that he dies and killed herself (however, he never saw her corpse). Subverted when he met Tsurumi, who discovered it was all a ploy to persuade the girl to move out to Tokyo and said girl even sent him a lock of hair. Then Double Subverted when he discovers that his love was really dead all along and Tsurumi lied to him. Triple subverted when he's told Tsurumi faked the girl's death to help Tsukishima off death row. Zigzagged to we don't even keep track of the number when it's heavily implied that the person who told him was working for Tsurumi, to begin with.

sins of our fathers

Tsukishima was ostracized and bullied as a child because of his father. Although nothing is specified, Tsukishima was called a murderer's son. Tsukishima already hated his father, but when the latter spread rumors about him being dead, leading to the su1c1de of Tsukishima's girlfriend, he beats him to death.

trading bars for stripes

Although he was already a soldier, Tsukishima briefly went on death row for murdering his father. However, thanks to/because of Tsurumi lying about Tsukishima being fluent in Russian, and Tsukishima's efforts to actually learn Russian; he became part of Tsurumi's staff during the Russo-Japanese War.

Russian language

Tsukishima is fluent enough in the Russian language to hold conversations with native Russian speakers. However, he is not proficient enough to translate difficult expressions.

genius bruiser

He was able to learn Russian when in death row to make himself indispensable for the war, and in the unknown but necessarily short time between Tsurumi ordering Tsukishima to learn Russian right away, and Tsurumi's request to free Tsukishima being granted.

Physical Power

Despite his humble height, Tsukishima is a dangerous opponent to face in close combat. He has a lot of stamina and endurance, which allows him to go on even when gravely injured or intoxicated with poison. He has a lot of strength in his lower body and prefers to attack his foes with kicks in hand-to-hand combat.

stoic support

Because of his stoic demeanor, Tsukishima often has to act as the straight man as the rest of his group crumbles into chaos around him. Despite that, Tsukishima has shown to care for his comrades, as seen when he offered words of consolation to Genjirou Tanigaki who had been verbally reprimanded, and continued to show concern even when he was unable to address others directly.

Chekhov's skill

as part of Tsurumi's plan to save his life from death row. Tsurumi (headed to Russia to act as an intelligence officer) stated (at quite some length) that his trusted subordinate and talented interpreter Tsukishima's high skill and fluency in Russian made him vital for the country, so he was taking Tsukishima out of death row to go with him. Tsukishima knew not a word of Russian, and was told to learn it right away.

marksmanship

Tsukishima is skilled with a rifle and is able to shoot well.

trivia

Tsukishima likes egoneri (boiled egogusa seaweed) and white rice and dislikes nothing. Tsukishima enjoys taking long baths.