Ikeda triplets

Hina Ikeda (池田 緋菜 Ikeda Hina), Nazuna Ikeda (池田 菜沙 Ikeda Nazuna) and Shirona Ikeda' (池田 城菜 Ikeda Shirona'') are the recurring characters in the Saki Biyori. They are the triplet younger sisters of Kana Ikeda.

Appearance
The Ikeda triplets can be told apart by their appearances:
 * Hina is the oldest of the Ikeda triplets who is distinguished from her sisters by her hair, which covers her entire forehead.
 * Nazuna is the second of the Ikeda triplets and is distinguished from her sisters by her hair, which covers part of her forehead.
 * Shirona is the youngest and is distinguished from her sisters by her hair which does not cover forehead.

Plot
With their parents working late, it falls on Kana Ikeda to pick them up from school and take care of them till bed time. In the manga, a year before the current story line, Mihoko Fukuji visits the Ikeda home and helps Kana take care of them for the day. They make a small appearance in the anime were they are seen with Kana watching the fireworks from their balcony. They again make a brief appearance in the current story line. In it Seika Bundou and Sumiyo Fukabori are taking care of them while Kana is away at the nationals.

Etymology

 * Each of the triplets' name Hina, Nazuna and Shirona have meanings in them:
 * The name Hina means "scarlet, dark red" (緋) (hi) and "vegetables, greens" (菜) (na).
 * The name Nazuna means "vegetables, greens" (菜) (na) and "sand" (沙) (suna/zuna).
 * The name Shirona means "castle" (城) (shiro) and "vegetables, greens" (菜) (na).
 * The triplets' surname Ikeda means "pool, pond" (池) (ike) and "field, rice paddy" (田) (ta/da).