Kiichirou Kimiyoshi

Kiichirou Kimiyoshi (公由 喜一郎) is the chief of Hinamizawa and the head of the Kimiyoshi family. His position as chief is largely symbolic as Oryou Sonozaki holds power over most of Hinamizawa.

Background
According to Onigafuchi tradition, the Kimiyoshi family is always best among the three main families, and would automatically become in charge of the village, whenever a leader is needed. However Kiichirō is more of a figure head, as the Sonozaki family's Sonozaki Oryō is actually in charge of the village. When the Japanese government threatened to build a dam that would submerge the entire village under water, war broke out between the villagers and the pro-dam activists. Even though Oryō really led the anti-dam movement, it was Chief Kimiyoshi who was chosen to be the Chairman of the Onigafuchi Defense Alliance.

Appearance
Kiichirou appears as an old man with a balding scalp and long unkempt gray hair, bushy gray eyebrows, and a crooked nose.

Personality
He is often shown to be a very kind towards villagers and outsiders alike (like Akasaka Mamoru in Himatsubushi-hen.) In Meakashi-hen and Minagoroshi-hen, he has uncharacteristically shown aggressive hatred towards the Hōjō family, due to the family’s betrayal as pro-dam activists during the Dam Conflict, and later became scapegoats. However, it is later revealed in Minagoroshi-hen that he and many elders of the village no longer had bitter feelings towards the Hōjōs. He, like many village elders, believed that the Sonozaki family or “someone” in the village were behind the series of mysterious deaths, and that “they” were targeting enemies of the village. That means that the village elders feared that anyone who speaks up against the village values will become scapegoats, and that this “someone” will later attack the scapegoats. So Kimiyoshi and many elders of the village often behave as though they hated the Hōjō family, and to show great devotion toward Oyashiro-sama as to remain safe from persecution.

However, his beliefs are also revealed to incorrect, and that this “someone” never existed to begin with. Every member of the Sonozaki family, including Sonozaki Oryō, also no longer hates the Hōjōs. After the Dam Conflict ended, Oryō told the villagers that no one is to harass the Hōjō family anymore, but also not interact with any of them. Even though Oryō no longer hates the Hōjōs, she too is afraid that the villagers will label her as a scapegoat, and thus lose her power over the village.

Himatsubushi-hen
Even though almost the entire village knew that the young Mamoru Akasaka was a public security officer who came to Hinamizawa in June of 1978 to investigate the kidnapping of Inukai Toshiki (and thus making the villagers suspects), Kiichirō kindly welcomed him as he entered the Defense Alliance's headqurters at the Furude Shrine.

Trivia

 * Satoko Houjou reveals that Kiichirō sometimes teaches the arts of Kendo and Syuji to fellow villagers.
 * Kiichirou's house is located somewhere outside of Hinamizawa, but not very far away.
 * In it is revealed that Kimiyoshi is suffering from hemorrhoids.
 * In, it is revealed that he became Rika's legal guardian sometime after her parents' death 1981.