Kamiya Rin

Kamiya Rin (神谷 凜） is the deceased mother of Tominaga Sei, the main female protagonist in Kaze Hikaru, a historical shoujo manga by Watanabe Taeko.

History
The daughter of a bafuku samurai, Rin was betrothed and eventually married to Genan when she was about 16. Genan aspired to be a great doctor, but he was forced to find a bride in preparation for his father’s death. Though not cruel to his young bride, Genan was not interested in marriage and instead focused his attention on medical training, despite Rin's attempts to please him.

A year later, Genen's father passed away and he inherited the title. Shortly afterward, Genan too fell ill. However, Rin soon realized her husband’s illness was faked in order to pass the title on to an adopted heir, leaving Genan able to study medicine. Rin realized her husband’s true desires and promised to help him, so long as Genan agreed to become the best doctor in the world. Realizing her sacrifice she was offering to make, Genan became truly humbled, thus beginning a loving marriage.

A year later, their first child, Yuuma, was born. Around the same time, a new western-style medical facility was built, where Genen practiced. A lengthy and never-ending line of patients prevented Genan from returning home to see his wife and child. After five years of absence, Rin and her son eventually went to Sakura to see Genan. Despite the years of absence, Rin was still insistent that her husband finish his shift for the day before he came to see them.

Once alone, Rin told Genan that the adopted heir’s parents were pressuring her to give up the title. With support from his wife, Genan decided to give it to them, with Rin and Yuuma planning on moving into a row house with an extra room so he could see patients. Shortly after returning home, Rin realized she was pregnant with Sei.

Gentaro and Rin exchanged numerous letters, but he was still unable to return home for a number of years. Thus Rin was left to raise both children in her husband's absence. When Yuuma was 11 and Sei was 4, Rin died from an unknown illness. Unfortunately, Genan was unable to make it home in time to see Rin before she passed away.

After Rin's death, Genan opened his own clinic that specialized in Western medicine, assisted by his children. A few years later, Genan and Yuuma were killed a few men who were pro-Shogun. Though Okita Souji was able to chase the men away before Sei is killed, the clinic is burned down and Sei later decides to join the Mibu-Roshi disguised as a man in order to get revenge.



Later in the series, Matsumoto was finally able to tell Sei the truth about her father, as she believed he had abandoned his wife and children when they were young. Sei finally realized what a great sacrifice her mother had made for her father, and that her father truly loved them all.