Aoba Jōsai High

Aoba Jōsai (青葉城西), also known as Seijō, is a private high school in the popular volleyball anime and manga series Haikyuu!!, famous for its talented volleyball team, considered a key rival to Karasuno, and for its captain, Tōru Oikawa. The name literally means "west of Aoba Castle," which is Sendai Castle, and "Seijō" is an abbreviation combining the characters for "Aoba" (青葉 - green leaves) and "Jōsai" (城西 - west of the castle).

Key points about Aoba Jōsai:

Context: It is one of the strongest teams in Miyagi and a great rival of Karasuno High School.

Name: It is commonly known as Seijō (青城).

Meaning: "West of Aoba Castle (Sendai)".

Notable Players: Players such as Tōru Oikawa (captain), Iwaizumi, Hanamaki and Kyotani stand out.

Playing Style: They prioritize talent and individual skill, with a strong offense.

Kanji:
及川徹
Rōmanji:
Oikawa Tōru
Sobriquet:
"Great King" (by Hinata Shoyo)
Shittykawa, Trashykawa, Assikawa, Crappykawa, Lazykawa, Loserkawa, Idiot (by Iwaizumi)
Gender:
Male
Sign:
Cancer
Birthday:
July 20
Age:
18
Height:
184.3 cm
Weight:
72.2 kg
Family
Takeru (Nephew)
Occupation:
Student
Equipment:
Aobajohsai High School
Number:
1
Position:
Captain - Shipowner

Tōru Oikawa (Japanese: 及川徹, Oikawa Tōru) is a third-year student at Aoba Jōsai High School. He is the captain of the volleyball team and is widely considered the team's best player, despite not being the star player.

Oikawa has chocolate-brown hair that sticks outwards, and eyes of a similar color. Many find him attractive, to the point that several girls follow him around just to talk to him. Oikawa smiles frequently (although Iwaizumi points out that these expressions are rarely genuine). He tends to make victory signs, often accompanied by broad smiles or a wink. Another well-known expression he makes towards Kageyama is sticking his tongue out while smiling and winking (which is why Iwaizumi punches him).

Oikawa is quite tall for a volleyball player, standing at just over 1.80 meters. He wears a white brace over his right knee, making it appear as if he's wearing a different colored knee brace. On the court, Oikawa wears the standard turquoise and white uniform of Aoba Jōsai High School, and his jersey is adorned with the number 1, a classic choice for captains. He also wears dark gray athletic shoes with blue accents.

Despite his flirtatious nature (which makes him very popular among the female students, both Tanaka and Nishinoya envy him) and childishness (as pointed out by his nephew and Iwaizumi), Oikawa is an excellent player, well-rounded and very serious when it comes to volleyball.

Kanji:
岩泉一
Rōmanji:
Iwaizumi Hajime
Sobriquet:
Iwa-chan (by Tōru Oikawa)
Gender:
Male
Sign:
Gemini
Birthday:
June 10th
Age:
17
Height:
179.3 cm (5' 10.6")
Weight:
70.2 kg (154.7 lbs)
Occupation:
High School Student
Equipment:
Aoba Josai
Number:
4
Position:
Receiving tip
Star

Hajime Iwaizumi (岩泉一, Iwaizumi Hajime) is a third-year student at Aoba Jōsai High School; his position on the volleyball team is outside hitter, and he is also the team's star player. He is also Tooru Oikawa's best friend since childhood.

Iwaizumi has spiky, dark brown hair, and his eyebrows are slightly thicker than normal. His eyes are dark brown in the manga, but they are changed to green in the anime. He is often shown with a serious expression.

During volleyball practice, Iwaizumi wears a standard Aoba Jōsai uniform with the number four on it. He has also been seen wearing the Aoba Jōsai school uniform, which consists of light brown pants with dark brown trim, a lavender button-down shirt, a dark red tie, and a white blazer.

Apparently, Iwaizumi is a somewhat stubborn person, but a clearly reliable teammate; he is often Oikawa's go-to person to give the team a morale boost, if needed.

He acts in solidarity with everyone, including Tobio Kageyama, and is often the one to reprimand Oikawa for his childish pranks. He frequently resorts to violence with Oikawa, but this doesn't change the fact that he cares deeply for him, as shown when he tries to stop Oikawa from working too hard or when he loses confidence in him.

He has a firm attitude, and has even led some members of the Aoba Jousai team to look forward, resulting in the team having great respect for him.

Kanji:
京谷 賢太郎
Rōmanji:
Kyōtani Kentarō
Sobriquet:
"Mad Dog-chan" (by Oikawa)
Gender:
Male
Sign:
Sagittarius
Birthday:
December 7th
Age:
17
Height:
178.8 cm (5' 10.4")
Weight:
70.8 kg (156.1 lbs)
Occupation:
High School Student
Equipment:
Aoba Jōsai High School
Number:
16
Position:
Receiving Point

Kentarō Kyōtani (京谷 賢太郎, Kyōtani Kentarō), also known as "Mad Dog" (狂犬, Kyōken), is a second-year student at Aoba Jōsai High School. He also plays the outside hitter position on the volleyball team.

Kyōtani is quite easy to identify. This is due to his distinctive hairstyle: a shaved head, blond hair, and two black lines running horizontally across his head. His sharp eyes give him a fierce and hostile appearance (he seems to be wearing eyeliner, or has dark circles under his eyes), complemented by thin eyebrows.

All of this serves to honor his nickname of "Mad Dog" (狂犬, Kyōken), although this is given to him by Oikawa to refer to his fiery and cheeky personality.

It is said that among the second-year students at Aoba Jōsai, he possesses the best skills, but his brash attitude complicates his relationships with the other members. He seems to show no respect for the third-year students, who find him irritating, with the exception of Iwaizumi, whom he greatly respects. His respect for Iwaizumi stems from the fact that Iwaizumi challenged him to countless sporting competitions, winning every single one. He is extremely strong and only strikes the ball with his full force and power; otherwise, he "won't be satisfied."

Kanji:
金田一 勇太郎
Romaji:
Kindaichi Yutarō
Nickname:
Turnip head/Shallot head/Onion head (By Hinata)
Nabo-kun (By Tanaka)
Gender:
Male
Birthdate:
June 6
Age:
16
Height:
189.2 cm (6' 2.5")
Weight:
74.3 kg (163.8 lbs)
Occupation:
High school student
Equipment:
Aoba Johsai High School
Number:
5
Position:
Central locking

Yūtarō Kindaichi (in Japanese: Kindaichi Yūtarō)金田一きんだいち 勇太 郎ゆうたろう is a first-year student at Aoba Johsai and plays on the boys' volleyball team as one of the starting middle blockers.

Kindaichi is a fairly tall young teenager for his age, being the tallest member of the Aoba Johsai team in his first year. He has straight, dark hair, which has earned him the nickname "turnip/onion head" from Hinata, who associates his silhouette with a turnip or onion when he sees him again near the Aoba Johsai baths, though it's implied that Kindaichi himself doesn't know the meaning of the nickname. His face seems to be frowning most of the time, though it's more passive than an intimidating stare like Kageyama's.

When playing volleyball, Kindaichi is open to feedback and willing to adjust his game to suit his setter, unless he feels the demands are excessive. [3] In the latter case, Kindaichi is not afraid to express his frustration and stand up for himself. He also proves to be quite competitive during matches, especially when facing Hinata and Kageyama.

Kindaichi is generally kind and gets along well with his classmates. He is very respectful of his upperclassmen, especially Oikawa and Iwaizumi. Contrary to his tough exterior, he appears to be quite sensitive. He is deeply affected by the dispute in middle school with Kageyama, while the others have moved on.

Kanji:
国見英
Rōmanji:
Kunimi Akira
Gender:
Male
Sign:
Aries
Birthday:
March 25th
Age:
15
Height:
182.8 cm (5'11")
Weight:
66.1 kg (145.7 lbs)
Occupation:
High School Student
Equipment:
Aoba Josai
Number:
13
Position:
Opposite

Akira Kunimi (国見英 Kunimi Akira) is a first-year student at Aoba Jōsai High School and is one of the opposite hitters on the volleyball team.

He doesn't often show his emotions; even Kageyama has admitted that he never saw a genuine smile of happiness from Akira in the three years they played together in middle school (though the reason for this could be Kageyama's terrible relationship with his former teammates). Kunimi has a slender build, dark brown hair parted in two, and eyes the same color as his hair.

He appears to be a calm person, but with a lazy side. This is shown when he skips volleyball practice, which in turn provokes the anger and frustration of Coach Mizoguchi, although the latter has forgiven him and accepted his personality. Kageyama mentions that Kunimi is very intelligent, but his level of intelligence is unknown.

Kanji:
松川一静
Rōmanji:
Matsukawa Issei
Sobriquet:
Mattsun
Gender:
Male
Sign:
Pisces
Birthday:
March 1st
Age:
17
Height:
187.9 cm (6' 1")
Weight:
73.8 kg (162.7 lbs)
Occupation:
High School Student
Equipment:
Aoba Josai
Number:
2
Position:
Central Blocker

Issei Matsukawa (Japanese: 松川一静, Matsukawa Issei) is a 3rd year student in class 1 of Aoba Jōsai High School; he is one of the middle blockers on his team.

His hair is black and a little messy, and he has thick eyebrows. He's the tallest of the third-year students, and he's also a good height for volleyball.

Despite appearing serious, Matsukawa is sometimes shown to have a playful air, such as calling out her food orders in the middle of a game.

Kanji:
花巻貴大
Rōmanji:
Hanamaki Takahiro
Sobriquet:
Makki
Gender:
Male
Sign:
Aquarium
Birthday:
January 27
Age:
17
Height:
184.7 cm (6' 0.7")
Weight:
72.0 kg (158.7 lbs)
Occupation:
High School Student
Equipment:
Aoba Josai
Number:
3
Position:
Receiving tip

Takahiro Hanamaki (Japanese: 花巻貴大 Hanamaki Takahiro) is a third-year student at Aoba Jōsai High School; his position is outside hitter.

Hanamaki has light brown (sometimes described as almost pinkish-brown) hair that is very short, leaving his forehead exposed. His eyes and face often have a bored expression. His eyebrows are short and thin, and he rarely smiles. He is considered quite tall for a high school student, but his height is average among male volleyball players.

Hanamaki is usually calm and collected. He can read the game situation quite well and doesn't talk much during matches. But sometimes, especially with the third-years, he can be quite funny, and he gets along very well with the other team members.

Kanji:
矢巾秀
Rōmanji:
Yahaba Shigeru
Gender:
Male
Sign:
Pisces
Birthday:
March 1st
Age:
16
Height:
181.9 cm (5' 11.6")
Weight:
69.0 kg (152.1 lbs)
Occupation:
High School Student
Equipment:
Aoba Josai
Number:
6
Position:
Shipowner

Shigeru Yahaba (Japanese: 矢巾秀, Yahaba Shigeru) is a 2nd year student and is the second setter of Aoba Jōsai High School.

Her hair is light brown, and she always takes care of it, especially her bangs. Although in the manga, her hair appears more grayish. Her eyes are the same color as her hair.

Shigeru is a pretty calm and carefree person, but he can be quite intense when necessary, for example, when he lectured Kyoutani for missing practice.

Kanji:
渡親治
Rōmanji:
Watari Shinji
Sobriquet:
Mr. Reliable (by Oikawa)
Gender:
Male
Sign:
Aries
Birthday:
April 3rd
Age:
17
Height:
171.2 cm (5'7.6")
Weight:
62.5 kg (137.8 lbs)
Occupation:
High School Student
Equipment:
Aoba Josai
Number:
7
Position:
Libero

Shinji Watari (Japanese: 渡親 治 Watari Shinji) is a 2nd year student at Aoba Jōsai High School and his position on the volleyball team is Libero.

His skin is quite tanned compared to his classmates', his hair is shaved and black. His eyes, on the other hand, are gray.

He seems to enjoy being challenged by Nishinoya, like when Nishinoya challenged him and he simply smiled. He has also shown that he can be very kind and is a player who gives his teammates confidence, such as when Kyōtani lost a point and he encouraged him to keep going.