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Spoiler Warning!

This article contains heavy spoilers for Golden Kamuy story. Please read at your own risk.

Overview

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.


The pain of losing his wife and daughter in the shootout with okhrana by Wilk's stray bullet poisoned Tsurumi. The grief and anger turned him into a man obsessed with revenge. The twisted idea of having the bones of his family "sleep" in the soil of his homeland motivated Tsurumi into seeking the gold to take control of Manchuria.

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

Borchardt C-93

Chapter Appearances[]

Appearances
Introduction Arc
1. Sugimoto the Immortal Absent
2. Wen Kamuy Absent
3. Trap Absent
4. Noppera-Bou Absent
5. Hokuchin Unit Silhouette
Escape King Arc
6. Persecution Absent
7. The Escape King Debut
8. Flight Absent
9. Cornered Rat Absent
10. Gamble Absent
11. Ainu Kotan Absent
12. Kamuy Mosir Absent
13. Guardian Spirit Appears
14. Howling Absent
15. Scent Absent
16. Shinigami Appears
17. Trackers Mentioned
18. Rescue Operation Appears
19. Gallop Appears
20. Argument Absent
21. Ghost Absent
Kazuo Henmi Arc
30. Legend Appears
31. 203 Hill Appears
32. Attack of the Mysterious Winged Terror! Absent
33. Run Like Hell Absent
34. Contact Appears
35. Courtship Absent
36. Useless Absent
37. Start of Spring Absent
38. Hunpe Absent
39. Fishermen and Killers Absent
40. Herring Mansion Appears
41. Shine Appears
42. Repun Kamuy Appears
43. Sinna Kisar Absent
44. Sniper Absent
45. Tanigaki the Matagi Absent
46. Punishment Appears
47. Huchen Flower Appears
48. Kiroranke Absent
49. Companion Absent

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 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[]

External Links[]

Site Navigation[]

v  e 7th Division
First Lieutenant Tokushirou Tsurumi
Second Lieutenant Otonoshin KoitoYuusaku 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 KomiyaKazuo MaeyamaKennosuke MishimaKouhei NikaidouNaoaki Noma  Rikimatsu Ariko  Youhei Nikaidou

Allies Heiji KoitoHidenobu OkudaNarizou ArisakaTeruchika YodogawaYasaku Edogai
Associates Kouji WadaKoujirou Hanazawa
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