Saotome

In ancient Japan, the saotome (“young maiden” 早乙女) were unmarried girls tasked with planting rice in paddies.

Saotome is also a Japanese family name. The name can refer to the following people:

  • Mitsugi Saotome aikido master instructor
  • Taichi Saotome traditional Japanese stage actor

The name can refer to the following fictional characters:

  • Genma Saotome and Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½
  • Mondonosuke Saotome a.k.a. Bored Hatamoto from the series of movies starring Utaemon Ichikawa