Hōjō (北条, Assistance, "Hojo") is a school friend of Kagome Higurashi who has a crush on her and constantly attempts to go on dates with her, though Kagome usually forgets about them due to her frequent trips to the feudal era. Hōjō is one of Kagome's top three romantic interests, although he is the only love rival of Inuyasha who the hanyō never meets, as he has only limited contact with Kagome's friends in the modern era. Hōjō is a good student and very popular; as such, Kagome's close friends (Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi) constantly try to set her up with him, and consider him superior to Inuyasha, who they believe is merely a delinquent, due to a misunderstanding of what little Kagome tells them. Hōjō is constantly giving Kagome medicinal items to help her with her fictitious chronic illnesses