Minato Tsuruno, mother of Hina Tsuruno, owns and operates a boarding house where she rents rooms to residents including Rin Namiki, Misa Aoi, and several unnamed girls. Her personality is laid-back and cheery, though she entirely delegates household cooking responsibilities to Hina, who prepares meals for all occupants. Despite her relaxed demeanor, Minato exhibits concern for the girls' well-being, particularly when they go missing for extended periods without contacting her.

Her surname Tsuruno blends the kanji for "crane" or "stork" (鶴) and "field" or "wilderness" (野). The name Minato, written in hiragana as みなと, carries no inherent meaning, but its kanji form (港) translates to "harbor."