Yaeko Okajima

Yaeko Okajima (岡島 ヤエ子 Okajima Yaeko) is the sister of Nanako Okajima and older sister of Taeko in Only Yesterday.

Personality
Yaeko is very fussy and makes a big deal over things, one example is when Taeko was given a low score on her math quiz. In response, Yaeko ran down the stairs screaming to her mother and discussed if there was something wrong with her youngest sister. Yaeko, much like her sister Nanako, are into the new trends and popular things in 1960's Japan such as The Beatles who had recently performed in Japan.

She can be quite harsh with her younger sister due to the latter's spoiled attitude, like when she complained about Taeko getting more presents than her and their oldest sister, teased her about not having to pass down her charol purse to her, grew angry at her when Taeko seems disappointed that Yaeko was coming with them to eat outside, and when Yaeko threw her old purse that Taeko wanted at her head.

Relatives

 * Taeko's Father (father)
 * Mrs. Okajima (mother)
 * Nanako Okajima (sister)
 * Taeko Okajima (younger sister)
 * Grandmother Okajima (grandmother)

Etymology
ヤエ子


 * The name Yaeko is written in kanji/katakana (いさ子), which has no special meaning except the kanji "子" means "child". However, when part of the name Yae is written in kanji (彌恵, 陽咲, 優笑, 矢恵, 弥榮, 弥江, 弥愛, 野衣, 也央 or 八恵), it could possibly mean:
 * 彌恵 - "extensive, full" (彌) (ya) and "favor, benefit" (恵) (e).
 * 陽咲 - "light, sun, male" (陽) (ya) and "blossom" (咲) (e).
 * 優笑 - "laughing".
 * It can also mean "excellence, superiority, gentleness" (優) (ya) and "laugh" (笑) (e) separately.
 * 矢恵 - "arrow" (矢) (ya) and "favor, benefit" (恵) (e).
 * 弥榮 - "all the more, increasingly" (弥) (ya) and "flourish, prosperity, honor, glory, splendor" (榮) (e).
 * 弥江 - "all the more, increasingly" (弥) (ya) and "bay, inlet" (江) (e).
 * 弥愛 - "all the more, increasingly" (弥) (ya) and "love, affection" (愛) (e).
 * 野衣 - "field, wilderness" (野) (ya) and "clothing, garment" (衣) (e).
 * 也央 - "to be, also" (也) (ya) and "center" (央) (e).
 * 八恵 - "eight" (八) (ya) and "favor, benefit" (恵) (e).
 * Yaeko's surname Okajima means "ridge, hill" (岡) (oka) and "island" (島) (shima/jima).

Trivia

 * It is subtly implied that Yaeko is a lesbian, bisexual or pansexual due to her obsession/crush on Kouzuki Noboru from the Takarazuka acting troupe, although this is never expanded upon.
 * Yaeko and her sisters all have names that end with "-ko".

Yaeko おもひでぽろぽろ