Anzai's Wife

Anzai's wife is gentle, composed and perceptive. Her demeanor resembles her husband's present personality, and she treats his students warmly when they visit or encounter her.

She understands how deeply Anzai cares about Shohoku despite his restrained outward behavior. She observes that coaching the team has made him happy and attends some of their games even though she did not routinely watch his earlier university teams.

Her knowledge of Anzai's past also gives her a serious side. When Rukawa needs to understand the reason behind her husband's refusal, she does not reduce the issue to a simple rule; she explains the painful experience that informs his judgment.

Anzai's wife has no basketball or combat abilities established in the series. Her importance comes from her insight into Anzai and access to parts of his history that his players do not know.

She is particularly effective as a confidante. Her calm explanation to Rukawa communicates information Anzai himself does not readily discuss and helps the young player understand that his coach's refusal is grounded in experience rather than lack of faith in him.

She appears when Anzai's health becomes a concern and members of Shohoku visit him. Her conversation with the players demonstrates that she follows the team and recognizes the positive effect coaching them has had on her husband.

Her largest narrative role concerns Rukawa's desire to travel to America. After Anzai tells him to become Japan's best high-school player first, his wife provides the history behind that decision.

She tells Rukawa about Ryuji Yazawa, a gifted former student of Anzai who rejected his demanding coaching and went to the United States before he was ready. Yazawa struggled there and later died in a car accident, leaving Anzai devastated by the loss of a player he had believed possessed extraordinary potential. The story gives Rukawa a clearer understanding of why Anzai refuses to casually endorse another young talent's premature departure.

Mitsuyoshi Anzai is her husband. She understands his history as both the severe "White-Haired Devil" of his university-coaching days and the gentle Shohoku coach he later becomes.

Kaede Rukawa receives one of her most important pieces of advice when she explains why Anzai is reluctant to support his immediate move to America.

Ryuji Yazawa was one of her husband's most promising former players. His fate profoundly affected Anzai and forms the central subject of the story she tells Rukawa.

Takenori Akagi, Kiminobu Kogure and Ayako meet her while checking on Anzai's condition.