[[AhMyGoddess http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/belldandynadeshiko.jpg]]
[[caption-width:250:The [[Pantheon/{{Love}} god]][[IncrediblyLamePun dess]] of this trope.]]

-->''My woman from Tokyo
-->She's so good to me''
-->--'''Deep Purple''', "Woman From Tokyo"

-->'''Roger Stone:''' But everybody in this family thinks it's funny to try to get around Pop. [...] You, too, Edith. You give in until you get your own way.
-->'''Edith Stone:''' Yes dear.
-->'''Roger Stone:''' See what I mean?
-->-- '''The Rolling Stones''', by RobertAHeinlein

A complicated Japanese aesthetic and cultural concept. Breaking the expression down: "Yamato" is one of the older (and thus fancier) names for Japan and the Japanese culture; "nadeshiko" is Japanese for ''Dianthus superbus'', a wildflower native to the Japanese highlands. Broadly speaking, a ''yamato nadeshiko'' is the "flower of Japanese womanhood", a woman with attributes that were traditionally desirable in Japan from the perspective of male-dominated society; generally ascribed to people with traditional upbringings. Basically it revolves around acting for the benefit of the family and obeying and assisting authority figures (father, husband, sometimes father-in-law or older brothers, as well as older females of similar personality traits). Virtues include loyalty, [[FeminineWomenCanCook domestic ability]], wisdom, maturity, and humility.

This sounds like an ExtremeDoormat, especially to [[ValuesDissonance modern Westerners]], but [[TropesAreNotBad don't be fooled]]. A properly done ''yamato nadeshiko'' will show a [[PluckyGirl subtle, but definitely present, touch of iron]], in that she is unwilling to let circumstances [[MamaBear hurt the ones she cares about]] or [[TheDeterminator distract her from her goals or missions]]. (Conversedly, [[TropesAreNotGood in poorly done cases]] this come across as a forced attempt at trying to convince the audience that the YN in question isn't just a doormat with no personality) This is often accomplished ''so'' subtly that the target isn't quite certain ''how'' things got redirected -- a kind of influence judo, if you will. Older ''yamato nadeshiko'' are better at this, while a younger one will make up for it in determination -- especially when it comes to the man she loves, because that trumps ''everything'' else. [[AiYoriAoshi Aoi]] loves her parents, but she will step over them to be with Kaoru [[ParentalMarriageVeto if she has to]], since that's what ''she'' wants and no one will take that away from her.

With some notable exceptions, physically ''yamato nadeshiko'' will be tall, willowy, modestly endowed, and pretty rather than beautiful, and they will have dark eyes and [[RapunzelHair long]], dark hair with bangs; you know, [[HairColors the kind of hair]] a Japanese person can ''[[YouGottaHaveBlueHair actually have]]''. They'll dress girlishly: skirts, blouses, lace, ribbons and simple hair ornaments. Some may use jewelry and make-up, but not to the extreme. Their voices will often be gentle, calm, and warm as that melted butter you get to dip your shellfish in at Red Lobster.

Sometimes, these seemingly ultra peaceful ladies will also [[ActionGirl handle at least the basics of self-defense]], even if [[TechnicalPacifist they would rather not fight]] [[MartialPacifist unless it can't helped]]. If that's the case, [[LadyOfWar they'll be very graceful and effective in the battlefield]], and their preferred weapons will be [[BladeOnAStick polearms, lances]], or [[StraightArrow bow/arrows]]. They're more likely to be {{Staff Chick}}s or {{Barrier Warrior}}s, though.

''Yamato nadeshiko'' characters pop up a lot in MagicalGirlfriend series (usually in the character who will [[FirstGirlWins win the male lead's heart]]) and in BettyAndVeronica love triangles. Similar to an {{Ojou}}, although more likely to be played straight. They tend to be very sympathetic, but their passive, reactionary nature puts them in danger of becoming [[SatelliteCharacter Satellite Characters]] for more "interesting" people, as well as target of [[TheScrappy bashing]] from fans who prefer either ActionGirl or {{Tsundere}} types (and not all of them being [[RealWomenNeverWearDresses "so-called feminists"]]). They are much [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff more popular in Japan]] for [[ValuesDissonance obvious reasons]].

More information on this concept can be found in the [[http://www.sljfaq.org/afaq/yamatonadeshiko.html sci.lang.japan FAQ]]. Compare StepfordSmiler for a critical take, {{Yandere}} for a girl who ''seems'' to be a Yamato Nadeshiko but hides a far more unstable psyche. Her sort-of early Western equivalent is the DeterminedWidow.

Most likely will be voiced KikukoInoue (and formerly, SumiShimamoto) if she's from an anime. If the character is on the young age and is already showing lots of YamatoNadeshiko traits, it's probably MamikoNoto voicing that character. SayakaOhara, ofter referred as "the new KikukoInoue", might be heading towards this direction.
----
!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Pictured above, Belldandy in ''AhMyGoddess'', which pretty much standardizes Kikuko Inoue's typecasting. Though the in story reason for her being a YamatoNadeshiko is that if she wasn't, [[BewareTheNiceOnes the universe would be in serious danger]].
** Belldandy presents an interesting case in that she so deliberately invokes the trope, and yet she does not fit almost any of the above-defined physical descriptions. "Tall"? Maybe, before she met her boyfriend Keiichi, but if so, she seems to have adjusted herself more less to his (unimposing) height. "Modestly endowed"? Not particularly. "Pretty rather than beautiful"? Pfft. "Dark eyes"? Nope. "Dark hair"? Nope. Non-ostentatious attire? Bwahahaha. May not use much makeup, but she hardly needs to, being, you know, a goddess.
*** But she does have a beautiful and gentle voice, and not only is she willowy, she also [[IncrediblyLamePun likes to stand on top of trees]].
*** Her height is also given as 165 centimeters in the manga; for Japan, this is a bit on the tall end.
**** It was in the 80'es when the manga started. Now it's a pretty average height for younger generation of Japanese women (even if she's supposedly Norse).
* Mercedes Herrera / de Morcerf in {{Gankutsuou}}, (voiced by Kikuko Inoue), also fits the role to a very large extent.
* Hinata Hyuga of ''{{Naruto}}'', who is exceptionally kind, polite and soft-spoken.
** Also, Haku is a rare male subversion of this trope. He's a kind, soft-spoken, androgynous if not outright feminine-looking boy who probably has some significant domestic ability aside from that which we see onscreen (the herb-picking). He bows to Zabuza's authority but retains that hint of steel the article talks about...when it comes to ''protecting'' Zabuza.
* Kasumi Tendo in ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'' (also voiced by Kikuko Inoue) was the responsible eldest sister, and when Mrs Tendo died, she [[PromotionToParent became]] [[TeamMom the house's mother figure]]. She adopted a public face of YamatoNadeshiko, but allowed her own selfish and snarky side to show at home. Later on, she was [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] to follow this trope straight unto the point of parody.
** Note that Kasumi's {{Tsundere}} younger sister, Akane, actually ''wants'' to grow up into a YamatoNadeshiko, while still being a martial artist.
** There were also two characters in the manga that tried to get revenge on Shampoo for beating them up as kids by using some [[AppliedPhlebotinum weird flowers]] that turned whoever wore them into a YamatoNadeshiko, even if they were male.
** Nodoka Saotome, Ranma's mother, is the very image of the YamatoNadeshiko, as she fits the above description to utmost perfection. But then she hears how someone is menacing Akane or Ranko and she gets out her sword... Even if she's actually clumsy with it, there's a ''reason'' [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Genma]] calls her a "formidable woman."
***She's [[{{Dojikko}} clumsy with the sword]], but she doesn't let that get in the way of being lethal with it. It may even be that it's her lack of skill that makes her worthy of such fear. Something in a similar vein to CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass, only without the transition. She is a ''quantum'' version of the trope.
** In a filler episode in the anime, Ranma himself becomes a YamatoNadeshiko when he hits his head and becomes perhaps even more girly than Kasumi, to the point where [[LossOfIdentity "she"]] squeals in disgust at having to wash his boxers, faints when Akane accidentally cuts her finger, and upon instinctively punching [[LoveableSexManiac Happosai]] offers to strip naked and let him grope her all he likes to make up for it.
* Ichiyō and Wakaba in ''CrossGame''
** In comparison to their tomboy sister Aoba then yes. Otherwise they're rather normal.
* Aoi Sakuraba in ''AiYoriAoshi'' - a textbook example of this trope, to the point where other characters actually use the term in discussing her. She always wears a kimono, which is rare even for a Yamato Nadeshiko; although there is a bit of justification given in that her family business ''is'' making kimonos, and it wouldn't do for her to be seen wearing something other than her family's product.
** Also justified in that she wants to be a ''perfect'' YamatoNadeshiko for Kaoru in every way, and has been practicing at it since childhood. Since she comes from a ''very'' traditional family, you would expect her to be a very traditional example.
* Mariko Tanaka in WingCommander, complete with kimono and self sacrificial personality.
* English-born Christine "Chris" Robbins from {{Itazura na Kiss}} acts more like a Yamoto Nadeshiko than any other girl in the series. She's beautiful, domestic, submissive, and graceful. She also makes delicious Japanese food and [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/itazura-162.jpg wears a kimono regularly]]. To top it all off, she even admits in episode 19 that she had read a book about the concept of Yamato Nadeshiko.
* Midori in ''MidoriNoHibi'', though she is also a GenkiGirl at the same time, rather than the usual calm YamatoNadeshiko style.
** She's also ''much more'' open minded than this trope requires.
* Tytti Norbuck from SuperRobotWars somewhat exemplifies this a bit, probably more on the 'Loyalty' virtue (to La Gias). She's also voiced by Kikuko Inoue. It would be a full subversion if only [[LethalChef she doesn't have a weird sense of taste, thereby guaranteeing anything she cooks will... suck.]]
* Nanase in ''{{Yumeria}}''. Voiced by ... guess who?
* An entire episode centered on this idea in ''SteelAngelKurumi: Encore'', which went so far as to have a character actually ''named'' "Nadeshiko". She, of course, exemplified this concept, and much humor resulted in the GenkiGirl main character trying to imitate her.
* Megumi is challenged to a "''YamatoNadeshiko'' Cup" in ''TenshiNaKonamaiki''.
* The plot of ''[[TheWallflower Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge]]'' aka ''The Wallflower'' aka ''Perfect Girl Evolution'' is to transform the leading lady into this archetype. She has the domestic skills and looks (when she isn't drawn chibi-style); she's just made the conscious decision to let all the ''other'' traits slide, becoming a withdrawn and very creepy {{Yandere}} DarkActionGirl.
** Strangely, while she may never be the perfect Japanese woman she can apparently be the perfect Japanese ''man''.
* Chitose from the GalaxyAngelGameverse is played straight as a YamatoNadeshiko. Like most everyone else in the [[GalaxyAngel the anime]], she's parodied quite a bit, trying to be perfect but usually failing even to be tolerable.
* Yakumo Tsukamoto, Tenma's little sister, in ''SchoolRumble''.
* The name of the titular ship in ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'' may be a reference to this term, as it [[WaveMotionGun resembles]] the Yamato from ''UchuuSenkanYamato''.
** That's more of an outright 'yes'. In the anime its upgrade was referred to as 'the Y unit', and the manga was even ''more'' obvious - they outright grafted on another battleship, the Yamato, and proceeded to call it the Yamato/Nadesico for the rest of the manga.
* Cherry from ''SaberMarionetteJ'' is a YamatoNadeshiko by virtue of her [[TheThreeFacesOfEve "motherly" role]], but this is often overridden by her {{Tsundere}} and CovertPervert traits.
* The Mysterious Thief Freyr in ''[[MythicalDetectiveLokiRagnarok Matanei Loki Ragnarok]]'' refers to Mayura Daidouji as "Yamato Nadeshiko".
* Hikari Horaki in ''NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Despite being a minor character, she appears in a lot of Japanese market pictures and figure sets. Such is the power of the YamatoNadeshiko slash mother figure (when the best mother figure is a 14 year old girl, you KNOW the world is messed up [see ''EurekaSeven'']).
** At least in the anime, Hikari comes across as a Type B {{Tsundere}} who only seems deredere because of the contrast with [[JerkAss her best friend Asuka]]. Maybe people remember Hikari as a YamatoNadeshiko mostly because of how [[BreakTheCutie her story arc]] [[ItGotWorse ends]]?
** It's actually discussed whether Hikari is a Type B {{Tsundere}} or a YN who happens to be friends with two people (Asuka and Touji) who are [[JerkAss THAT good at irritating people]].
*** That wouldn't explain why she's mean to Shinji and Kensuke.
**** IIRC, she's not that bad to them... unless Touji is nearby. She's also quite nice to Misato, so I guess it's Touji's aura or somethig.
* Rodoreamon's [[StoryArc character arc]] in ''{{Simoun}}'' follows her evolution ''away'' from the YamatoNadeshiko that she is at the beginning of the series, as she opens up and develops more of a backbone.
* Parodied in ''MutekiKanbanMusume'' when Miki Onimaru (normally a [[{{Yandere}} Yandere-like]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold cranky]] waitress) got drunk and started to act like one, even to the point of loathing violence and acting submissively.
* Flora/Nera, one of the potential marriage candidates in ''DragonQuestV'', is a Yamato Nadeshiko type. Contrary to the usual, however, she's significantly ''less'' popular than her more tomboyish counterpart - as evidenced in an episode of ''LuckyStar'' where this choice is referenced. Kagami's choice of Bianca, the other girl, is treated as being more sympathetic... and Konata's brief discussion of why you might pick Flora is purely about gameplay advantages, not character traits.
* Sakura Matou from ''[[FateStayNight Fate/Stay Night]]'' is a good example, despite (or perhaps as a [[{{Yandere}} defense mechanism]] against) her [[BreakTheCutie horrific home life]].
** [[spoiler:It's actually shown quite explicitly to be a role that she adopts rather than one that comes naturally to her. Before she met Shirou, she was even more of an emotional wreck. By the way she's described, she was closer to a ''{{stringy haired ghost girl}}'' minus the being dead part. But anyway, she's trying to appeal to Shirou.]]
* Misae Ikari from ''ParanoiaAgent'' uses most of episode 11, "No Entry", exemplifying this concept.
** Something of an {{Evangelion}}-style {{Deconstruction}} of the trope, as much of her "selfless" behavior appears to be the result of unusually realistically depicted clinical depression.
* Momoko from ''SumomoMoMomoMo'' takes the entire series to demonstrate the concept, going from stalker to devoted companion, [[spoiler:willing to follow her man even into the next world]].
* Parodied in ''{{TenjouTenge}}'', where Aya Natsume in the very first chapter becomes an obnoxious, ridiculously over-the-top ClingyJealousGirl mixed with YamatoNadeshiko because of a family tradition: any woman from the Natsume clan must give their lives to the first one who sees their naked skin, and Souichirou had the tough luck of being thrown into the dressing room while Aya was showering inside.
* Juli Mizrahi from ''{{Xenosaga}}'' fits this trope well.
* Nadeshiko from ''{{Inukami}}''. [[MeaningfulName It's in the name.]]
* Sakura's dead mother, Nadeshiko, in ''CardCaptorSakura''. [[MeaningfulName Oh look, another one.]]
** Nadeshiko was a rather atypical YN lady, since she hit all the tropes... except for her utter [[CloudCuckooLander cluelesness]] and [[{{Dojikko}} clumsiness]].
** Sakura's [[HotShoujoDad father]] Fujitaka is a perfect example, though male.
** Among Sakura's friends, the one who embodies the trope more closely is Rika Sasaki. Sakura thinks that Rika's very beautiful and mature, if not more than the other girls. Tomoyo also follows the torpe to a degree, but she's more TheOjou.
* Nadeshiko from ShugoChara even if she is a [[AttractiveBentGender ....]]
* Subverted in ''OuranHighSchoolHostClub'': Tamaki often imagines Haruhi, who is actually a [[{{Bifauxnen}} bifauxnen]], as one; before coming to Ouran and cutting her long hair, she resembled one, as well.
** In the Ouran High School Host Club Manga [[spoiler: a girl named Kanoya falls for Tamaki. She seems to have all these traits, and also ''very'' closely resembles Tamaki's inner mind version of Haruhi.]]
* Mayl, the love interest for ten-year-old Lan in ''MegaManBattleNetwork'', clearly aims to be his yamato nadeshiko when they grow up. In the DistantFinale, she's succeeded.
* Subverted in ''RurouniKenshin'', where Tomoe Yukishiro is sweet, hardworking, so calm and collected she looked borderline cold... [[spoiler: and was actually a spy who wanted to kill Kenshin for murdering her fiancé.]] She actually opens up a bit [[spoiler: and ''does'' fall for Kenshin, "her SecondLove", but ends up dead]]. And several years later, [[SecondLove Kenshin falls for the]] {{Tsundere}} Kaoru, [[spoiler: who in the infamous ''Seishouhen'' OAV grows up into a Yamato Nadeshiko]].
** Played straight with Yahiko's girlfriend Tsubame and her boss/adoptive mother Tae Sekihara.
*** And with the two girls from the Oniwabanshuu (Masukami/Omasu and Omime/Okon), when they're of-duty. Sort-of JustifiedTrope since they work as waitresses in the Aoiya when not kicking ass alongside the group, while the guys are the cooks of the place.
* ''GundamSEED'' has Lacus Clyne (with heavy emphasis on the wisdom), a YamatoNadeshiko who uses her IdolSinger status to become a political juggernaut. Slightly subversive in her status as the leader of the [[TheAlliance Three Ships Alliance]]; her YamatoNadeshiko side is decidedly more obvious in ''Gundam SEED Destiny'', particularly the first half where she spends her days as a homemaker/mother figure to a gaggle of orphans. This looks to have been subverted by the ending to ''Destiny'', though, which implies [[spoiler:that Lacus is the new leader of the [=PLANTs.=] Given that it's the only government of a major power that's still intact (the previous leader of the [=PLANTs=] had conquered the Earth Alliance and killed its leaders) and the minor nations had already sided with her beforehand, this particular YamatoNadeshiko effectively now [[TakeOverTheWorld rules the world]].]]
** Special Edition not so much implies, as outright ''states'' it. Though, this very situation ''subverts'' the trope: in Japan traditionally YamatoNadeshiko could and did control things (there were even women Empresses), but did it discreetly and indirectly, as direct control [[ValuesDissonance was considered crass for women]]. So Lacus would come out more as TheOjou -- she has the behavior, but not the mindset and is too much ambitious for classical YamatoNadeshiko. Who, in her situation, would be [[spoiler:perfectly prepared to let Kira [[MeaningfulName Yamato]]take the position and then [[ManBehindTheMan control]] ''[[ManBehindTheMan him]]'' [[ManBehindTheMan from the shadows]]]].
* In ''{{Digimon Adventure 02}}'', one of GenkiGirl Miyako Inoue's image songs is called ''Yamato Nadeshiko Panic''; the lyrics are about how much she wants to be more of a Yamato Nadeshiko. [[spoiler: And in the DistantFinale, she is. Kinda]]. Note that the song was actually released after the finale, along with image songs for the girls from predecessor ''DigimonAdventure'' and successor ''DigimonTamers''.
** Toshiko Takenouchi, Sora's mother, combines this with EducationMama at first. Satoe Tachikawa, Mimi's mom, is this and AdultChild.
* Kazusa from ''KamichamaKarin''.
* Saeko Busujima from ''High School of the Dead,'' with an HeirToTheDojo twist. The other twist is [[spoiler:under that polite exterior there's a sadist itching to get out and beat the crap out of everyone. Fortunately for her friends there's a lot of zombies to kill.]]
* Momo Hinamori from ''{{Bleach}}'', to the extent that a Shinigami can be. Meaning, she's one Yamato Nadeshiko who can burn you with [[EmpathicWeapon Tobiume's]] energy blasts [[BewareTheNiceOnes if she gets pissed off]]...
** In that same series, a more by-the-book Yamato Nadeshiko would be the beautiful, feminine, ultra-polite and graceful Miyako, former 3rd officer of the 13th division and wife of its lieutenant, Kaien Shiba. When remembering her, Rukia Kuchiki says that Miyako was her idol and pretty much her ideal woman. Her voice? SumiShimamoto, in one of her rare appearances in the modern times.
** The 4th Captain, Unohana Retsu, counts as well, mixing this with TeamMom traits.
** In the flashbacks, Ichigo Kurosaki's MissingMom Masaki is mentioned to have always been sweet and gentle, never getting angry towards anyone, and ultimately sacrificing her life to save little Ichigo from a Hollow ([[spoiler: whom Ichigo would battle and lose to, and then her husband Isshin would kill]]). She might have been a YamatoNadeshiko, then, with said traits getting passed onto her youngest daughter Yuzu after her death.
** Variation: the aforementioned Rukia is more of a {{Shorttank}}, but she can pull off a pretty reliable YamatoNadeshiko impersonation when it's needed.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend Dawn Star from ''JadeEmpire,'' despite being a master martial artist with PsychicPowers, is otherwise a perfect example of this trope [[RecycledINSPACE In ANCIENT CHINA!]]. You can snap her out of it though.
* Setsuna Sakurazaki of ''MahouSenseiNegima'' was once described as this by WeaselMascot Chamo for being quiet and fair-skinned with raven-black hair (at least [[CulturalTranslation in the original translation]]). Keep in mind, however, that once we actually get to know her, she drops this facade and instead becomes a BadAss [[ImplausibleFencingPowers sword-slinging]] {{Samurai}}-type. Meanwhile, [[RepetitiveName Konoka Konoe]], being a [[{{Ojou}} Princess]] formerly living in a [[BigFancyHouse Big Fancy Temple Complex]] and heiress to an ancient family who leads a prominent [[TheMagocracy Magical Organization]] seems to approach this quite effectively, especially during her [[ArrangedMarriage Omiai]]s when she wears a kimono. More noticable when she [[ThirteenGoingOnThirty eats the magical aging pills]].
* Sango of InuYasha is an interesting version of the trope, a willowy dark-haired pretty-not-beautiful girl who follows her family tradition... by being a [[ActionGirl demon-slayer.]] Her existence is testament to the idea that the traditional family girl can still be handy to have around in a tight spot.
** Might be inspired by the fact that, in the old Japanese times, the daughters of the samurais were required to know how to defend themselves and their homes in case they were under attack. [[BladeOnAStick The]] ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naginata naginata]]'' [[BladeOnAStick polearm]] is an almost exclusively female WeaponOfChoice, usually a part of a Yamato Nadeshiko with samurai background's dowry; it lets her keep the attackers at bay, using the distance to her advantage and reducing the chance to have the ActionGirl hurt.
** Kikyou was a {{Miko}}, yet she acted a lot like a YamatoNadeshiko... until her death.
* Nunnally and Euphemia in CodeGeass might be Brittanian, but they both show some traits of the YamatoNadeshiko types. Specially Nunnally, since Euphie is a bit more [[RebelliousPrincess rebellious]].
** Kallen's biological mother, Mrs. Kouzuki, ''apparently'' fits in the mold, but she can be seen as a ''deconstruction''. She ''is'' devoted to her daughter and her dead son, but the war left her psychologically damaged and she was addicted to a drug that makes you relive happier times. Kallen also thought her mother was still devoted to her biological ''father'', who basically just used her, not realizing her true reasons until she witnessed the depth of her mom's psychological damage. [[spoiler: She gets better after the GrandFinale, though.]]
** Another Britannian one is Cécile Croomy, Count Lloyd Asplund's [[HotScientist beautiful lab assistant]]. Also voiced by Mrs. KikukoInoue. She'd be the perfect Yamato Nadeshiko if not for two things: her status as a Britannian... and (like Tytti) her ''[[LethalChef HORRIBLE]]'' [[LethalChef cooking]].
*** It's not horrible ''per se'', she makes the food quite well. It's just that she takes... [[ForeignQueasine creative liberty with the recipes]].
** The Black Knights have Nagisa Chiba as their Yamato Nadeshiko. She's a LadyOfWar ActionGirl when in her Knightmare, is [[SubordinateExcuse in love with her commander and friend]] Todou, and can wear a kimono with ease [[spoiler: (like in Ougi and Viletta's wedding)]]
* In ThePrinceOfTennis manga and OAV's, [[ShrinkingViolet Sakuno]] [[{{Dojikko}} Ryuzaki]] is portrayed as more mature and less klutzy, fitting the YamatoNadeshiko mold pretty well.
** In the anime, Choutarou Ohtori can be seen as a ''male'' YamatoNadeshiko. Tall? Check. Polite? Check. WiseBeyondTheirYears? Check. Focused on his goals? Check. Very competent in his "mission"? Check. ''Very'' devoted to his partner Shishido? [[HoYay Oh baby]], CheckPlease...
** And what about Oishi? That guy is the very ''incarnation'' of a {{gender flip}}ped YamatoNadeshiko, considering he's a male TeamMom who's extremely devoted to Tezuka and Eiji and later makes ''many'' sacrifices for the team. [[spoiler: Specially when he forfeits his regular position to let Tezuka (manga) or Ryoma (anime) make use of it.]]
** In the anime, there's also Narumi Iijyuin (whose twin younger sister Kurumi is a {{Shorttank}}). The mothers of the players, logically, also are like this: special mention goes to Kaidoh's mother Hazuki, Tezuka's HotShounenMom Ayana and Fuji's mother Yoshiko (sho ''is'' called one in manga canon).
* Depending on which series you are watching and [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation how you watch it]] a decent number of the cast of TenchiMuyo characters fall in this category. Sasami, Ayeka and Kiyone all can be considered this, although the last two often [[CharacterDerailment fall out]] of this [[ExecutiveMeddling due to]] [[WriterOnBoard excessive]] {{Flanderization}}. Interestingly, the same influences cause Sasami to become MORE of one.
** What might be oddest is in that in one or two spots, that looks like what Ryoko wants to be. For someone whose personality seems to be a laundry list of what a Yamato Nadeshiko is NOT..
* Subverted with Kaede Fuyou in ''{{Shuffle}}'': She ''seems'' to be this at the start, being unfailingly gentle and subservient, but when her love interest Rin starts falling for someone else aka their common friend and sempai Asa Shigure, [[{{Yandere}} well...]]
** Note that Kaede is actually [[PlayingWithATrope quite a spin]] in both YamatoNadeshiko ''and'' {{Yandere}}, since her madness does not ''only'' come from Rin falling for Asa. [[spoiler: Kaede ''was'' already psychologically damaged from years ago, and even was horribly ''abusive'' to Rin because [[YouKilledMyFather she blamed him for her mother's death in an accident]]. Her Yamato Nadeshiko side was born out of [[TheAtoner her guilt]] over finding out he was ''not'' to blame.]]
** Also, Kaede was a Yandere in the ''anime''. The original games have her as a more or less normal Yamato Nadeshiko... though one of the sequels, which sheds more light on her past, has a few touches from the anime.
* Inverted with Sumire Kanou from ''{{Toradora}}''. She is described as having the looks and elegancy of a Yamato Nadeshiko, and [[TallDarkAndBishoujo is]] the StudentCouncilPresident. [[BadassNormal However, don't judge a book by its cover.]] Has black hair in the light novels, but [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair has blue hair in the anime]].
* To the public eye, Yukimura Tokine from {{Kekkaishi}} is a picture perfect embodiment of this trope. However, those who know of her secret work as a kekkaishi know that she is a scarily competent and rather ruthless ActionGirl who not only has the tendency to hit allies who annoy her over the head and but also cold-heartedly executes enemies.
* Akira Sakou in ''GirlsSaurus'' is TheOjou who lives in a BigFancyHouse and is an extremely traditional Yamato Nadeshiko (and is explicitly described as resembling and behaving like Nadeshiko herself)... however, she subverts this by being a hardcore {{Bokukko}} with very complicated gender identity issues outside of home, and it's implied that her attraction to Shingo is out of a strange inversion of SitchSexuality, because he's the only boy who (she thinks) thinks of her as a boy.
*Seto San from {{Seto no Hanayome}}. She was willing to bet herself for her husband's contest... SAN-CHAN!!!!!!!!!
* Anezaki Mamori of ''{{Eyeshield 21}}'' is a girl with loyalty, domestic ability, wisdom, maturity, and humility... and is ''definitely'' [[PluckyGirl a force to be reckoned with]], [[MamaBear protecting her surrogate siblings and standing up to badass football players]]. This only seems to ''elevate'' her standing in the eyes of other characters.
** Also, played with in regards to Karin Koizumi. The best quarterback in the whole country is... a sweet girl who adores piano playing and shoujo manga and was pretty much forcefully recruited by the Teikoku Alexanders.
* Iono from ''IonoTheFanatics'' is a queen from a foreign country who, on the surface, is very much a YamatoNadeshiko, and she's even described as such by two government officials. However, her weak spot for black-haired girls also prompts her security officer to nickname her "horny queen", [[LovableSexManiac which is much more fitting]].
* Tohru Honda of ''FruitsBasket'' fits this trope ''almost'' perfectly. She's just more... [[{{Dojikko}} clumsy]], [[TheIngenue naïve]] and [[StepfordSmiler more prone to hide things]] (this one, in the manga) than the standard.
* Yuki in ''NoBra'' is an example of this. She's a biological male who looks, acts, and identifies as female; however, the term transsexual as yet to be said, and everyone besides her love interest believes her to be biologically female. She's friendly, domestic, and defers to Masato, her love interest. Even when he told her to get her hair cut, something she didn't want to do, she did it with little complaint.
* Miyuki Kobayakawa in ''YoureUnderArrest''. When she's not working at her traditionally male job (cop, if you hadn't guessed by the title) or [[WrenchWench up to her elbows in the engine compartment of either her]] patrol car or her personal vintage Toyota S800.
** Taken into parody with Miyuki's coworker and friend Aoi Futaba, a WholesomeCrossdresser who looks and acts the part ''so damn well'' that Yoriko says he's ''more'' feminine than any of the girls in Bokuto station at some point. Also noticeable because Aoi is one of the few (if not the only) "YamatoNadeshiko" roles played by [[HotBlooded Rika]] [[TheDeterminator Matsumoto]], making him a huge case of PlayingAgainstType.
* In ''IkkiTousen'' ''Great Guardians'', there's Hakufu's sweet and polite "adoptive sister", Sonken Chuubou (Sun Quan) [[spoiler: or to be exact, Shoukyou (Xiao Qiao).]]
** This trope is also parodied in the last episode of ''Dragon Destiny'', where [[spoiler: LadyOfWar Chou'un Shiryuu]] dresses up in a formal kimono, takes up ''ikebana'' flower arrangment... and utterly ''fails''.
* [[MoeAnthropomorphism Windows 95-tan]] is often depicted this way, being the oldest of the 32-bit Windows operating systems.
* Jun Fudo of DevilmanLady tries desperately to embody this trope, due to her self-esteem problems and her AbusiveParents. It backfires massively when she starts turning into a ''demon''.
* Anew Returner from {{Gundam 00}}. [[spoiler: There's debate about her ''truly'' having a gender, being [[ArtificialHuman an Innovator]], but her mannerisms are ''very'' much YamatoNadeshiko.]] Subverted later: [[spoiler: her YamatoNadeshiko side was a facade, since she was a brainwashed ManchurianAgent. And when her boyfriend tried to give Anew a LastSecondChance and she was about to take it, her boss mindcontrolled her ''and'' the boyfriend's partner had to kill her]]
** Also, RebelliousPrincess Marina Ismail.
* In AxisPowersHetalia, [[ChineseGirl Taiwan]] has the looks whereas [[TokenLoli Lietchenstein]] has the character traits.
** Also parodied with Japan, a male who puts on [[WholesomeCrossdresser a female kimono, along with an apron]] when he works on the house. His {{Gender Flip}}ed counterpart is often portrayed as a full-on YamatoNadeshiko in fanart, though.
** Taiwan's YamatoNadeshiko-ness ''may'' have been {{jossed}}, if the [[http://community.livejournal.com/sugarparade/2987.html#cutid1 Doodles about Asia]] are taken as canon. There, while Taiwan keeps her very YN looks, she's also capable of [[IFeelAngry speaking quite more roughly]] than the average YN lady, referring to China as "bastard".
* In ''DeadmanWonderland'', Karako likes to claim that she is one. Everyone else [[ActionGirl disagrees]], though.
* Kaede Kimura in ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' tries to be a ''yamato nadeshiko'' (she actually uses the term). But her years spent overseas have left her with a second personality: Kae'''r'''e, who has a stereotypical [[{{Eagleland}} aggressive foreigner]] attitude. HilarityEnsues.
** Also parodied with Matoi Tsunetsuki, who wears a kimono and acts like a parody of the trope in regards to Itoshiki-sensei.
* Airi Nogami, Ryotaro's older sister in ''[[KamenRider Kamen Rider Den-O]]'', who is pretty, caring, an excellent cook, and completely, '''completely''' unflappable. Upon being told that Ryotaro was being held hostage by an armed robber, her immediate reaction was to go back to preparing coffee. When one of the coffee shop regulars asked how she could be so calm, she muttered "That's right", then went off...to make "Ryo-chan" some special hostage snacks. Cue mass FaceFault.
* Tsubaki from ''SoulEater''. How else would she be able to put up with ''[[LargeHam Black Star]]''?
* Sylphiel Uls-Lada from {{Slayers}}
* Shamal from MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha A's, as it fits to her "role" as "the mother" in TheThreeFacesOfEve Wolkenritters. [[LethalChef Except that she can't cook AT ALL]]
* Francoise/003, and [[spoiler: Lina the Psychic Assassin (when off-duty, that is)]] in {{Cyborg 009}}
* [[IllGirl Nagisa Furukawa]] and her mother [[HotShounenMom Sanae]] (voiced by KikukoInoue) from ''{{Clannad}}''. It also helps that Sanae-san is a [[LethalChef Lethal Baker]].
* Princess Oboro from {{Basilisk}}.
* Hermione from RomeoXJuliet.
* Sakura-chan's four older sisters from {{Pokemon}}. Satsuki (Jolteon), Sumomo (Vaporeon), Tamao (Umbreon) and Koume (Flareon) can wear fancy headgear and kimonos gracefully, serve you the most delicious green tea, play the shamisen beautifully and arrange flowers like pros... and they can also kick your ass [[LadyOfWar in style]] with their Poks. Little Sakura is still too young to fully qualify, but she and her Eevee/Espeon are definitely getting there.
* [[PlayingWithATrope Toyed with in]] GGundam. When Rain Mikamura gets the Rising Gundam to use in battle, it has a [[BladeOnAStick heat naginata polearm]] that can become [[StraightArrow a bow with heat arrows]] as its main weapon, following the example of the YamatoNadeshiko who's trained in weapon handling to defend herself and her household. Rain herself has some YamatoNadeshiko traits, personality wise: she is extremely devoted to Domon, to her [[TheProfessor Professor]] father and their mission, but she is also quite more [[HotScientist fanservicy]], [[PluckyGirl stubborn]] and [[WhatTheHellHero outspoken]] than the standard.
* Parodied in {{Hamtaro}} with Charlotte/Sakura, Philip/Ichiro's girlfriend. She can play the part well when needed and has been raised as one... but you'd never know it if you met her outside her BigFancyHouse, since she's a GenkiGirl bordering on WildChild whenever she gets out.
* Ren Mikihara from ''FullMetalPanic? Fumoffu'', a minor addition to the side-story cast, along with student body president Atsunobu Hayashimizu, whom she clings to.
** It might be worth noting that briefly in one episode Kaname dresses up as and acts like an archatypical YN and [[ClarkKenting goes unrecognized by other characters who know her]].
*** She lampshaded it herself, saying that she always wanted to be ''more classy'', but this position in their family was already taken by [[TheOjou her older sister]], so she had to become {{tsundere}} instead.
* In SlamDunk we have two highschool-aged examples: Oda's girlfriend Youko Shimamura and Akane Mizusawa from the fourth OAV. Female lead Haruko Akagi would count as well (and Youhei ''does'' describe her as a Yamato Nadeshiko in the beginning) if she was less [[{{Dojikko}} accident-prone]].
** A grown-up example is Anzai-sensei's wife, who even dresses up in a kimono.
** Arguably, Kiminobu Kogure can be seen as one of the very rare ''male'' examples.
* [[MoeMoe Mikuru Asahina]] from ''HaruhiSuzumiya'' is this trope mixed with all-too-generous portions of ExtremeDoormat.
** Yet Future!Mikuru is sufficiently different from present!Mikuru to [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation make one a bit suspicious]] of her current self, too.
*** [[ItMakesSenseInContext Perfectly]] [[JustifiedTrope understandable]]. If Mikuru ever clashed with Haruhi directly, her cover would be ''very'' liable to fail and her true identity as TimeTraveler / TheWatcher would be revealed to her. [[ObfuscatingStupidity You'd also act]] more [[{{Moe}} cute, sweet and helpless]] than you really are in public to keep your own agenda low and endear yourself to both the RealityWarper you're keeping an eye on ''and'' to a possible ally/friend/crush/etc. like the OnlySaneMan.
** Yuki Nagato also has more than her share of YamatoNadeshiko traits (quiet, humble, calm, defers to Kyon quite a bit), but she's also a mix of at least a half dozen other character types.
** Ryoko Asakura is sometimes seen as an inversion of this trope, given that she comes off as kind, caring responsible and level-headed, but only because she's ''programmed'' to exhibit those traits, and can't throw the switch off, even when she's trying her best to murder your face off.
*** That's because she's a {{Yangire}}, which is a completely another trope.
*Twilight Suzuka from OutlawStar is something of a hybrid. She is half this trope, and half HotChickWithASword.
* Princess Freya from the Asgard saga in SaintSeiya. Also ChineseGirl Shunrei, Seiya's UnluckyChildhoodFriend Miho, and to a smaller degree Saori herself after her CharacterDevelopment.
** Andromeda Shun is speculated to be a male example, since personality-wise he fits ''eerily'' well.
* Hiromi Yuasa from ''True Tears'' is an obvious textbook example of this trope.
* KenichiTheMightiestDisciple has Kenichi's little sister, who's a YamatoNadeshiko in progress. She's pretty much the only girl in the series (other than [[HotMom Kenichi's mom]], who also qualifies) who isn't an ActionGirl.
* Mako from InitialD acts a LOT like one, bar her very {{fanservice}}y clothing... [[LetsGetDangerous until she gets into her car]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* AudreyHepburn is one of the few Western women ''to this day'' who measures up to Japan's standards of a YamatoNadeshiko. In fact, Lacus Clyne of ''GundamSeed'' was based upon Hepburn's Princess Ann from RomanHoliday.
* Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas fits this trope pretty well. She has the modest, feminine personality and attire, and is domestic and sensible. It's kind of subverted by how she's a leaf-filled [[RobotGirl patchwork doll]] with stitches all over her body and puts deadly nightshade in her creator's food and drink to get out of the house.
* Eve from ''Love on the Side''
* Victoria from ''CorpseBride''.
* [[DistressedDamsel Tomoe]], the female [[LoveInterest romantic lead]] from ''TheTwilightSamurai'' aka ''[[TheTwilightSamurai Tasogare Seibei]]''. Since the film is set in [[JidaiGeki nineteenth century Japan]], the [[JustifiedTrope trope doesn't seem out of place]]; if anything, [[PluckyGirl Tomoe is the most "modern" major character in the film]]. Nevertheless, she's a [[SugarWiki/MostTriumphantExample convincing if not outright iconic]] YamatoNadeshiko.
** [[MeaningfulName Her name]] even includes the word "{{moe}}." What [[IncrediblyLamePun moe]] could you ask for?
* Played completely straight by Xiao Qiao in ''RedCliff'', the reason why [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Japanese Love Lin Chiling]] (a Taiwanese model-and-first-time actress, known for exhibiting this behavior even in RealLife).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In a very rare example of [[RobertAHeinlein Heinlein]] using this trope, Edith Stone from "The Rolling Stones". Despite being the least assertive persion in a family of aggressive overachievers, and not even possessing the advantage of being family matriarch (as her mother-in-law Hazel has usurped that role), via pure influence judo she is still the only person in the book who ''always'' ends up getting her own way in the end.
*Ma Joad from TheGrapesOfWrath is an example of this trope. She exemplifies all the traits but, most importantly, manages to hold the family together through sheer force of will alone.
* Herald Talia in Mercedes' Lackey's HeraldsOfValdemar. One of her two single most significant moments in the series involved ''epic babysitting'' -- specifically, being the only person in the kingdom kind enough, patient enough, and domestically talented enough to un-spoil the RoyalBrat, Princess Elspeth. [[spoiler:Which, given Elspeth's importance to the plot later on, saved the world at least twice over.]] The only diagnostic criteria listed above that Talia misses is that she's not tall.
* Melanie Wilkes from GoneWithTheWind might be considered a Western version of this. Of course, others might argue that she's an outright PuritySue.
** It's argued that Scarlett's first husband, Charles Hamilton, could be seen as a ''male'' example.
* Esther Summerson, from CharlesDickens' ''Bleak House'', can be seen as a [[VictorianLondon Victorian English]] version of the trope. She's kind, modest, sensible, and domestically competent, but too down-to-earth to be a PuritySue.
** Esther is also a partial deconstruction of the trope, as her extreme humility seems to be in part the result of an upbringing that would be considered emotionally abusive by most modern standards.
* Adèle Ratignolle from Kate Chopin's novel ''The Awakening''. Her submissiveness and devotion to her family and husband make her a foil to the protagonist Edna.
* Mrs. Ramsay from Virginia Woolf's novel ''ToTheLighthouse''.
* Fanny Price in JaneAusten's ''Mansfield Park''. She is extremely gentle, passive and the doormat of pretty much everybody around her until they try to force her into marrying the man she doesn't love.
* Cho Chang from ''HarryPotter''. She is almost too [[TenderTears sensible]] for this trope.
* Lady Ekaterin Vorkosigan (nee Vorsoisson) from the [[VorkosiganSaga Miles Vorkosigan]] novels fits the above description almost to a T... right down to an iron determination to live up to the public mores of an almost oppressively patriarchal culture with a traditional subordinate role for women, her being the ideal wife and mother by said cultural standards, her impeccable reserve and good manners, even her quiet dark-haired beauty. ''And'' the requisite willpower of steel in the service of unimpeachable honor lying underneath it all.
** Ekaterin is both a subversion ''and'' an upholding of this trope - subversion in that her first marriage almost emotionally destroyed her, as her determination to be a good wife and mother by her cultural standards trapped her for ten years in a marriage to an abusive idiot. And upheld in that her ''second'' marriage to Miles Vorkosigan, after Tien Vorsoisson ''finally'' got himself killed via his own stupidity, has become ''exactly'' as per the trope description above, under the subtle tutelage of...
** Miles' mother, Countess Cordelia, galactic champion of subtle psychological jiu-jitsu, who has happily settled into occupying the YamatoNadeshiko role to Count Aral Vorkosigan in her older age. Although unlike Ekaterin she's actually a retired ActionGirl, and can stay retired because after a legendary MamaBear incident in Miles' infancy no one on Barrayar is insane enough to give her any reason to ''un''-retire. [[hottip:+:It was during a civil war, Miles was in an artificial womb in the capital city, which the enemy had captured. Cordelia recruited her own special ops team and went in to recover Miles. She not only returned with Miles, but the ''severed head'' of the enemy leader. Her husband was negotiating with factions who were thinking of switching sides, when she showed him what "she'd bought in the capital". The civil war didn't continue much longer after that.]]
*** To be fair, Cordelia is rather direct and (by Barrayaran standards) [[{{Bokukko}} crass]] for a classic YamatoNadeshiko. Even moreso under stress:
---->"Madam you can't come in-"
---->"Don't give me that crap kid, I ''own'' you."
**** Her husband ''was'' having a heart attack at the time. She's usually far more polite. [[WarriorTherapist If unnervingly perceptive.]]
* Lady Catelyn "Cat" Tully-Stark from ASongOfIceAndFire. The Tully motto is “Family, Duty, Honor,” and those are the words Cat lives by.
* Esme Cullen from {{Twilight}}, also the TeamMom and the HotShounenMom.
* In {{Enid Blyton}}'s ''Famous Five'' books [[TheChick Anne]] is pretty much a YamatoNadeshiko in training. She does manage to get the occasional BewareTheNiceOnes moment though.
** Likewise, in this troper's opinion, Mary-Lou from ''Malory Towers''.
* Mercilessly and cruelly deconstructed in ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone''. Vera Elizabeth Claythorne is a gentle, sweet, naive girl who genuinely loves her boyfriend Hugo, but he can't marry her since he's got no money to do so. And she loves him so much that [[spoiler: she kills Hugo's nephew Cyril, who was her charge, by letting him down in the sea so Hugo can inherit the family state]]. [[MoralEventHorizon Holy...]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Pam from the US version of ''TheOffice'', though Pam can't be said to be 'obedient' to Jim, as demonstrated in the 'chairs vs. copier' argument.
* Swan Shiratori, [[SuperSentai Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger]]'s mechanic, fits this description perfectly, though not being as tall or long-haired as most anime examples.
** The following season ''Mahou Sentai Magiranger'' yields a better example, Ozu Miyuki, literally the mother of the core 5 Rangers. Even her superhero identity is named Magi''Mother''.
** Partially subverted two seasons later in ''Juuken Sentai Gekiranger''. Masashi Miki, a single mother of one and more of a guardian and mentor to the Rangers than the actual grandmaster ShaFu, [[spoiler:was a former Sukeban {{delinquent}} in her teen years.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* The IWantSong "A Quiet Girl" from ''Wonderful Town'' seems to be about this type.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The ''FinalFantasy'' series has plenty of good examples, though Aerith of ''[[FinalFantasyVII FFVII]]'' is arguably a subversion (she's not exactly docile and submissive, but she's otherwise more traditionally feminine than the other girls and ''does'' occupy the 'comforting, mothering figure' aspect - which she [[LampshadeHanging comments on]] in ''Advent Children''). The best examples from the series would probably be devoted love interest Rosa from ''[[FinalFantasyIV FFIV]]'', Garnet/Dagger (when she's being a demure little princess and not a rebellious one) from ''[[FinalFantasyIX FFIX]]'' and especially Yuna... in ''[[FinalFantasyX FFX]]'', though ''[[ActionGirl definitely not]]'' in ''X-2''.
** Terra/Tina from ''[[FinalFantasyVI FFVI]]'' is the series' prototype Yamato Nadeshiko [[spoiler: when she's in human form]]; so much as to take care of-and be loved by-a ragtag group of orphans after [[spoiler: Kefka takes over a broken world that he broke]].
* Nakoruru from SamuraiShodown is a CuteBruiser, TheBeastMaster version of the trope. Also, Haohmaru's lover Oshizu and Ukyou's lady of liege Kei Odagiri.
* Iris from ''PhoenixWrightAceAttorney: Trials and Tribulations''. [[spoiler:Her twin sister, Dahlia Hawthorne, is a {{Yangire}} to the extreme.]]
* It's now normal for ''[[TalesSeries Tales]]'' leads to get paired with a {{Tsundere}} by the story, but in ''TalesOfPhantasia'', the tsundere went to [[TheLancer best friend Chester]], and the main character got Mint, who is such a perfect example of this trope that she basically gets it as a title. In ''TalesOfSymphonia'', you get ''neither'' (although you ''can'' pick the tsundere, the {{Dojikko}} ChosenOne is the designated love interest if you don't, and there's no yamato nadeshiko to be found).
* Believe it or not, [[{{Stripperiffic}} Mai]] [[FetishFuelStationAttendant Shiranui]] from FatalFury and TheKingOfFighters is one. And ''very'' proud of it, since in her own words, she's "the number one Japanese girl". It's quite more evident when she's outside the fighting ring, of course: i.e., in the KOF: KYO game, Mai puts on a fancy kimono and [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/000s8dcq.png hosts a tea ceremony for Kyo and his girlfriend Yuki]].
** Also Shizuka Kusanagi, Kyo's HotShounenMom.
* Slightly subverted in the VisualNovel PrincessWaltz with Shikikagura Suzushiro, who looks, acts and tries very hard to be one of these. Stand in her way however and she shows a much more ruthless and bitchy side to her personality, and also possesses a powerful and brutal fighting style.
* Yukiko in {{Persona 4}}. Granted, it kind of comes with her job, being the heiress of a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryokan_(Japanese_inn) traditional-style Japanese inn]], but she embodies so much of it that [[spoiler: her Shadow is everything a Yamato Nadeshiko is not; very, very trashy... not one bit serene]].
** Interestingly, normal Yukiko also ends up subverting the trope in action, even if appearance-wise she matches the trope to a T (what with being the tallest of the main female cast, the long black hair, etc): [[spoiler: at first she plans on abandoning the inn ''completely'' in order to find her own path in life and escape her "gilded cage"; later on, she realizes that the inn isn't a cage at all, but it's home with a lot of people she loves and cares for. This means, however, that when she confronts a television crew who want to turn the inn into a laughingstock for cheap ratings, she delivers an ''absolutely brutal'' verbal smackdown on them and sends them packing in a most un-YN-like fashion. She notes, of course, that without the help of the player character, she just would have remained a typical YN all her life and wouldn't have developed the inner steel to do that.]]
* The Pokemon Gardevoir. It looks vaguely like a pretty human female, and it devotes itself to protecting and serving its trainer, to the extent of sacrificing itself for them.
** Also, the [[http://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/7/71/Kimonogirl.png Kimono Girls/Apprentice Geisha]] trainers. They were the inspiration for the aforementioned Sakura-chan and her sisters, actually.
* In ''StreetFighter'', Rainbow Mika's tag-team partner is actually [[MeaningfulName named]] Yamato Nadeshiko.
* Most of the ''HarvestMoon'' games have at least one. In the original and Magical Melody, it's the Maria character. In HM64, Back To Nature, and Friends of Mineral Town, it's Elli. In A Wonderful Life, it's Celia. Interestingly for this trope, said character is almost never the easiest to marry.
* The MysteriousWaif Ninian from FireEmblem 7 can be seen as a YamatoNadeshiko, character-wise.
** Partially, Fiora the eldest Peg Knight sister. More seen in her supports with her teenage sister Florina, [[MyBelovedSmother whom she adores and overprotects]].
** Natasha from FE 8 can be seen as this and the StaffChick.
* A Western example, albeit not a LoveInterest, is 1st Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Mariko "Spirit" Tanaka in ''WingCommander''. [[NationalStereotypes She's also the only Japanese character in the first game.]]
* Lilly Satou from ''KatawaShoujo'' has some elements of this. Except that she's blind.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''KimPossible'', Yori who crushed on Ron in Season 2 and 3 is very submissive and deferrent despite her [[ActionGirl impressive martial-arts skills]] (she's a female HeirToTheDojo). When Kim and Ron finally hook up in season four, Yori [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy calmly accepts it]], claiming it to be [[YouCantFightFate destiny]]. (Which saves her from the DieForOurShip that a Yamato Nadeshiko love interest usually goes through)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Saint Monica of Hippo can be considered a ''very'' early version of the Yamato Nadeshiko, due to her devotion to her husband Patricius and her son Saint Augustine (who pretty much worshipped the ground his mom walked on, and not to mention she was one of the biggest influences in his conversion to Christianism).
* Saint Maria Goretti can be seen as a YamatoNadeshiko in training, being very hardworking and devoted to her mother and siblings (specially after her father's death from illness). However, the poor girl also happened to attract the eye of the local JerkAss, Alessandro Serenelli, and soon ItGotWorse for her.
* The Virgin Mary is presented as the epitome of this trope, she being the perfect mother figure (indeed, the mother of Jesus Himself) and all.
* This term likely originated with the Chiran Nadeshiko Unit of WWII, a group of middle-school girls who provided comfort (no, not ''that'' kind of comfort) to Kamikaze pilots while serving as a subtle reminder of what they were sacrificing themselves to protect. The program was highly publicized for propaganda purposes but befriending successive waves of airmen (most of them little more than teens themselves) only to watch them sent off to die inflicted a severe psychological toll on the girls. The program finally ended after repeated air raids convinced the authorities that the airfield had become far too dangerous for children. Some surmise that the modern concept of YamatoNadeshiko in general stems from [[ImperialJapan wartime propaganda]] intended to buck up the home front.

[[/folder]]

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