Kōtarō Ogawa

Satoko's childhood friend and bodyguard, a long-serving retainer of the Kirigaya household who becomes the bridge between her old life and the one she chooses.

Kōtarō has known Satoko since they were children and serves her family as a bodyguard. His arrival on Tennyo Island to bring her home forces the central conflict into the open: the dutiful marriage she once imagined now stands against the feelings she has developed for Shinpei.

He is one of the story's quiet constants — and, in the closing chapters, its keeper. It is Kōtarō who holds Satoko's letter through the long years and finally delivers it, setting the last act in motion.

Personality

• Loyal and steadfast
• Protective of Satoko
• Bound by duty to the Kirigaya household

Where they fit

For the full arc — including how the story ends for this character — see the ending explained page, which covers the completed series and its divisive conclusion.