Higure Akiyama was an anime only character. She was the home economics teacher of Juuban Municipal Junior High School and taught Usagi, Naru, and Ami.
She was engaged to be married but lacked self confidence. She became a victim of Nephrite's after she decided to enter a wedding-dress making contest and then went shopping for fabric, the piece of fabric she ended up purchasing - after following a suggestion by Masato Sanjouin - had Nephrite's mark placed upon it.
She then became obsessed with finishing the dress and her appearance became more severe and "sexy" and she went from being shy to being extremely abrasive and rude. She even threw out her fiance when he came for a visit. When she was finished the dress she sabotaged the contest and then passed out, allowing the Youma Widow to be released. When this ordeal was over she returned to her former meeker self and married her fiance.