Shimano

"That is all up to you to decide. Perfect it, 22nd! I've done all I can. The shortcuts that were like "doping" won't work anymore."

- Shimano, Chapter 246 page 7

Shimano (縞野, Striped Field) is a nekomata who has trained various Legitimate Successors of the Sumimura family in the art of Musou. He guards the "Blank Room" (無想部屋) at the bottom of the family well, where the training takes place.

Appearance
Shimano's sealed form is a tiger-striped cat with a seal around his neck. He has two very long tails. In his unsealed form, he is much larger and more fierce.

Personality
Shimano tends to be fairly serious most of the time, but seems to take a certain pleasure in torturing Yoshimori in the name of training, much like Shigemori does. Both Shimano and Mikeno are very formal, and usually refer to the Legitimate Successors by their titles (Shigemori is 21st, Yoshimori is 22nd) rather than their names. Shimano also shows great responsibility in the job that was assigned to him and tried to help Yoshimori in any way he could.

History
Tokimori Hazama captured Shimano while working for the Karasumori Clan. Tokimori said he would make the nekomata his pet, and commanded it to bring other Ayakashi to the Karasumori castle, in order to increase his pay. Though he claimed he would release the nekomata after its job was done, this was likely a lie, since Tokimori kept several other Ayakashi in his service since then: Madarao (who was present at the time), Hakubi, Kumon, and Kokuyou.

Shimano is implied to have been training Sumimura Legitimate Successors for some time, and only Shigemori is confirmed to have at least attempted the training before Yoshimori.

Guardian of the Blank Room
While Yoshimori trains in his family's well, Shimano observes him from the shadows. When Shimano finally appears before him, Yoshimori assumes he is an illusion. Shimano quickly proves he is very real by using his tails to shock Yoshimori. Shimano introduces himself as the guard of the blank room, and explains that he will help Yoshimori complete his training quickly. He begins by posing the question of what would happen if the lord of Karasumori were to escape. Yoshimori suggests some kind of natural disaster, and Shimano admits that he doesn't know himself. However, Shimano is positive that Karasumori would have a great influence on the outside world, and that the best solution is for the lord's power to be given freely to someone else. He reveals that Yoshimori is the person chosen by Karasumori for this role, and it is necessary for him to master the blank state, both so he will not be influenced by outside forces, and so Karasumori's power will be prevented from running wild. Yoshimori is confused by all this, and Shimano offers to "help" him back into the blank state by shocking him again, using the power he's been absorbing from Yoshimori throughout his his time in the well.

Yoshimori begins to show signs of progress in his training at once: he can more easily enter the blank state, though Shimano shocks him even when he succeeds, because the amount of time to reach the state must be instant. Shimano suggests that his shock therapy is actually activating Yoshimori's brain cells, and admits that he is being so forceful because much is expected of Yoshimori. Still, he recognizes that Yoshimori has progressed faster than expected, and urges him to believe in his own power. When he sees that Yoshimori reacts positively to praise, Shimano urges him on by aiming to help him finish the training faster than any other Legitimate Successor ever has.

Powers & Abilities
Electric Shock (電撃針, Needle Shock): Shimano can release electricity through both of his tails. He often does this to Yoshimori in order to "help" him along in his training.

Power Absorption: Shimano appears to use the Sumimura's well as a medium to absorb power from the Legitimate Successors who attempt the musou training there. He then releases this power in the form of electric shocks.

Trivia

 * The sealing collars of both nekomata have only a single charm on them, while other collars in the series typically have anywhere from several to many charms on them. This seems to indicate a dramatic difference in power, with the nekomata being among the least powerful and/or dangerous Ayakashi in Tokimori Hazama's service.
 * Shimano can speak cat.