Akihiro Tsukuba  

, 筑波 秋博

A new member joins the Karuta Club at the beginning of Chihayas second year. He hails from Hokkaido and is an expert in playing second verse karuta with two hands. His goal is to learn how to play first verse karuta, so he joins the club. Despite being confident due to his past experience, Tsukuba acknowledges that the rules are different than what he's used to, but he remains determined to become strong and becomes a member of the Karuta Club. Although he may sometimes say things that a kohai would never say, Tsukuba understands and respects the kindness of his senpais. He is an older brother who is always respected by his three little brothers. Their family motto is "Always just bump into pretty people," and Tsukuba looks up to both Chihaya and Taichi. His specialty is taking photos of himself with his tongue sticking out, like Peko-chan. From Tsukubas perspective, falling waters have grown quieter, making his love for the game even deeper.