This article contains heavy spoilers for Golden Kamuy story. Please read at your own risk.
Tokushirou Tsurumi (鶴見 篤四郎, Tsurumi Tokushirō) is the First Lieutenant of the 7th Division and the main antagonist of the series. His search for the gold has started long before Sugimoto and Asirpa learned of the tale of the hidden treasure. He claims to pursue the gold to create a country for the soldiers betrayed by their government, but there is more to his goals that meets the eye...
Appearance[]
Tsurumi is a Japanese man of average height. Although he rarely appears undressed, he is shown to be quite muscular behind his lean frame. He has dark hair that is slicked on the back of his head, round dark eyes, prominent cheekbones, and a handlebar moustache and goatee beard.
During the Battle of Mukden, Tsurumi was injured in an explosion and as a result suffered severe damage to his forehead: a part of his skull is missing but is covered with skin and scar tissue. Occasionally transparent liquid that is presumed to be brain fluid leaks out of the wound. To protect his head, Tsurumi wears a porcelain enamel plate that covers his forehead. The upper half of his face also suffered damage and is covered with scar tissue. Tsurumi was noted to be quite handsome before his injury, however, he himself views the scars as an attribute that makes him rather dashing.[6]
Tsurumi usually wears the dark blue first lieutenant officer uniform. In summer, he is shown to wear white uniform instead. In cold weather, Tsurumi wears a brown coat with a fur collar.
On a few occasions he was shown to wear a quite unusual shirt made of human skin.
| Spoiler warning: Significant plot details follow. |
| As Kouichi Hasegawa, Tsurumi was clean shaven and sported a buzzcut; he also wore round glasses. He would wear a belted lightly colored kosovorotka shirt with a jacket, trousers, and a pair of leather boots. He would also carry some of his photography tools in a handbag and a briefcase. While at home, Hasegawa wore a dark vest over a light long-sleeved button up shirt as well as traditional Russian bast shoes (lapti). |
| Significant plot details end here. |
Personality[]
Tsurumi is ambitious, mysterious, and highly intelligent. He is a charismatic and manipulative man that can find the key to any person he desires. He successfully recruited quite a few outstanding soldiers like Otonoshin Koito, Hyakunosuke Ogata, Tokishige Usami, and Hajime Tsukishima that accompanied him on his mission for the gold. As a great leader and orator, Tsurumi easily takes command of the soldiers in his regime. He displays kindness to those who obey him but is undeniably cruel and violent to traitors.
Tsurumi is practical and calculating and is always one step ahead of his foes. He is methodical and patient when it comes to his plans and the time they take to come to fruition. While quite eccentric, Tsurumi is equally rational and cold-blooded, never showing his innermost feelings. As described by Satoru Noda, Tsurumi is supposed to be an "elegant, intellectual kind of freak".[7]
Tsurumi claims that his behavior has become more erratic and unpredictable after suffering brain damage. However, it is unknown if he truly cannot control some of his violent outbursts or just uses it as an excuse or mockery. The only thing that can truly make him lose his demeanor is the mention of Wilk, who he views as his archenemy.
| Spoiler warning: Significant plot details follow. |
| Under the identity of Kouichi Hasegawa, Tsurumi was shown to be a humble and compassionate man who loved his family. He was kind towards strangers who came to him for help and would befriend them later. As a trained spy, he was very observant and careful.
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| Significant plot details end here. |
Abilities[]
- Charisma: Tsurumi is highly manipulative and can convince others with his sweet lies or a powerful speech.
- Intelligence gathering and analysis: Tsurumi is regarded as a dangerous man for has proficiency in the intelligence discipline, as well as his sharp mind.
- Physical strength and agility: Tsurumi is shown to be physically strong, agile, and athletic.
- Russian language: As part of his duty as a spy in Russia, Tsurumi is fluent in the Russian language.
- Taxidermy: Even before meeting Edogai and learning from him, Tsurumi was interested in taxidermy (as evident by the shirt that he made from Matsuo Tsuyama's skin). It is possible that he was the one who preserved Wilk's skin.
Equipment[]
Throughout the events of the series, Tsurumi has been shown carrying different arms, including:
- Borchardt C-93 (holds 8 rounds)
- Colt Model 1903
- Winchester Model 21
- Winchester Model 1897
- Type 38 Machine Gun
Chapter Appearances[]
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Quotes[]
- (To Wada) "A warrior takes pride in his scars. In fact, wouldn't you say it makes me look rather dashing?"[6]
- (To his soldiers) "Our war is not over."[6]
- (To Sugimoto) "I'm your Shinigami. Your life is a candle, and I can blow it out anytime I choose."[8]
- (To Sugimoto) "Even if your life's candle is an immortal flame that can never be blown out... All I have to do is bite the candle down to nothing!"[8]
- "I wish the idiots who ordered this meaningless assault could hear it up close."[9]
- "We will create a military government and I will be its leader."[9]
- "Children who have lost their fathers. Parents who have lost their sons. Widows who have lost their husbands. We shall give them long term, stable jobs. We will develop this frozen land. And to the people scrounging desperately for their daily bread, we will offer... Salvation. That is the very least we can do for our fallen comrades."[9]
Trivia[]
- The "篤" kanji in Tsurumi's name can mean "fervent", "kind", "cordial", "serious", while the "四" kanji might indicate that he's the fourth son in his family.
- The mangaka Satoru Noda based Tsurumi's background on Hasegawa Tokushirou, the grandfather of Noda's father's friend who shared the same name, Noda Masanobu. After Tokushirou passed away, his relatives found a couple of curious things within his possessions: an old résumé and a child’s pinky bone.[10]
- Before the fanbook confirmation, there were other speculations about Tsurumi's character real personalities inspirations:
- Toshiro Mifune, a famous Japanese actor from Niigata who also worked in the photography shop while he lived in China. [11]
- Ishimitsu Makiyo, a member of Japanese Imperial Army and an intelligence officer who worked undercover in Siberia and Manchuria.[12]
- The real-life Hasegawa Koichi, a Niigata photographer; however, information of him is sparse.[13]
- Sumi Shinchirou, who lead the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 7th Division.[14]
- Pier Luigi Bellini delle Stelle, an Italian anti-fascist partisan and practicing lawyer, notable for capturing Benito Mussolini at Dongo in April 1945.[15]
- Tsurumi likes Japanese sweets (wagashi) but dislikes alcohol.
- In situations where he has to drink with his superiors, Tsurumi only pretends to drink and get drunk. It's because he is a lightweight and has low tolerance for alcohol.[16]
- Tsurumi is often the subject of many references and homages to different works of fiction:
- The gestures he did in Chapter 31 while giving a speech were identical to those of Adolf Hitler in the film Triumph of the Will.
- In Volume 6 omake, Tsurumi plays Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, also known as the Appassionata.
- The way Tsurumi enters the house in Chapter 105 is a reference to a scene from the movie Léon: The Professional.
- The scene in Chapter 107, where Tsurumi cradles the baby as Nikaidou, Tsukishima, and Koito look on at them is a reference to "Song of the Angels", an 1881 painting by the French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
- In the scene in Chapter 136 where Tsurumi fires the gun, the line "Come and say hello to Arisaka's little friend" is a reference to the movie Scarface.
- The way Tsurumi is holding the deceased Usami in his arms in Chapter 256 is a reference to Michelangelo’s famous sculpture of Jesus laying in the arms of the Virgin Mary, the Pietà.
- The flowers, which are sometimes seen behind Tsurumi in scenes and panels, are opium poppies. Tsurumi oozing brain liquid is reminiscent of opium poppy seed pods exuding latex.
- In 2018 Golden Kamuy All-Stars popularity poll, Tsurumi ranked 7th, gaining 5,499 votes. [17]
- When asked what occupation Golden Kamuy characters would have if they lived in the present time, Satoru Noda said Tsurumi would be a Public Security (Intelligence Agency) officer.[18]
- According to Golden Kamuy anime character reference sheet, Tsurumi's height is 173 cm (5'8).[19]
- Tsurumi is shorter than Sugimoto, Toni, and Wilk, same height as Koito, and taller than Edogai.[20]
- Tsurumi is lighter than Sugimoto, Tsukishima , and Vasily, and heavier than Toni.[21]
- Tsurumi's favorite gun, Borchardt C-93, was brought to him by Arisaka from Germany on his request.[22]
- In the magazine version of Chapter 7, Tsurumi's appearance used to be different: his headplate was of more angular shape, his eyes were light instead of dark, and his facial hair was trimmed shorter. It was later changed in the volume version.
- Tsurumi plays with his headplate while bathing.[23]
References[]
- ↑ Golden Kamuy official fanbook
- ↑ Kamuy Central
- ↑ Timeline
- ↑ Golden Kamuy Manga: Chapter 314
- ↑ Confirmed alive in the omake for Volume 31.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Golden Kamuy Manga: Chapter 13
- ↑ Q&A corner from the DVD bundle of the 15th volume of Golden Kamuy, Piduai, Tumblr
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Golden Kamuy Manga: Chapter 16
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Golden Kamuy Manga: Chapter 31
- ↑ Noda Satoru’s essay on why he gave Tsurumi the name Tokushirou
- ↑ Hasegawa Koichi to Tsurumi Tokushiro
- ↑ Hasegawa Koichi to Tsurumi Tokushiro
- ↑ Hasegawa Koichi to Tsurumi Tokushiro
- ↑ Defenders of the North: The 7th Division
- ↑ Imgur
- ↑ Q&A section from the Golden Kamuy fanbook
- ↑ 「ゴールデンカムイ北海道オールスターズ総選挙」
- ↑ “What would the occupation of Golden Kamuy characters be if they live in the present time?”
- ↑ ゴールデンカムイ 設定
- ↑ Character profiles from the Golden Kamuy fanbook
- ↑ Character profiles from the Golden Kamuy fanbook
- ↑ Q&A section from the Golden Kamuy fanbook
- ↑ Q & A section with Noda Satoru
External Links[]
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| 7th Division | |
|---|---|
| First Lieutenant | Tokushirou Tsurumi |
| Second Lieutenant | Otonoshin Koito • Yuusaku Hanazawa ☓ |
| Warrant Officer | Mokutarou Kikuta |
| Sergeant | Hajime Tsukishima |
| Corporal | Houzou Tamai |
| Superior Private | Hyakunosuke Ogata ☓ • Tokishige Usami |
| Private 1st Class |
Genjirou Tanigaki ☓ • Fumio Okada ☓ • Ikutarou Komiya • Kazuo Maeyama • Kennosuke Mishima • Kouhei Nikaidou • Naoaki Noma ☓ • Rikimatsu Ariko ☓ • Youhei Nikaidou |
| Allies | Heiji Koito • Hidenobu Okuda • Narizou Arisaka • Teruchika Yodogawa • Yasaku Edogai |
| Associates | Kouji Wada• Koujirou Hanazawa |