Kincho, also known as Kincho Daimyoji the Sixth, is a prominent character from the film Pom Poko. He is a venerable and powerful raccoon dog, or tanuki, who holds the position of a sage and elder from the island of Shikoku. As the sixth generation of the respected Daimyoji lineage, he is one of the most famous and powerful tanuki in Japanese folklore, and he serves as the chairman of the council of elders, which governs and guides their kind.

In terms of background, Kincho is established as a figure of immense authority and wisdom. He is a priest who works at a shrine, a role that underscores his spiritual and respected status among both tanuki and the local humans who once revered such beings. His past carries a heavy lesson; he once revealed that his own clan was wiped out because they committed wrongdoings, an event that led him to a life of deep regret and a transformation into an unyielding fighter for justice. This history informs his cautious and principled nature.

His personality is defined by a profound sense of responsibility and compassion. He believes that all raccoon dogs are important and adheres to a philosophy of leaving no one behind, even if it might mean sacrificing the greater good for the individual. He is portrayed as practical and level-headed, preferring cautious tactics over reckless aggression. However, he is not inflexible; he is open to discussion and persuasion, even from unconventional sources. Despite his wisdom, he can also express frustration and weariness, particularly when faced with the stubbornness or shortsightedness of his fellow tanuki.

Kincho's primary motivation throughout the story is the survival of the tanuki race in the face of human development that is destroying their habitat. He is deeply committed to finding a viable path forward, hoping to preserve his people and their traditions. His motivations evolve as the conflict with humans escalates. Initially, he supports grand displays of transformation power, like the Ghost Parade, to inspire awe and fear in humans. As these efforts fail, his priority shifts from winning a direct conflict to ensuring the tanuki have a future, even if it means a painful compromise.

In the story, Kincho plays a crucial role as a leader and a source of ultimate authority. After the younger tanuki from the Tama Hills send a representative to Shikoku for help, Kincho leads a council of three sages to their aid. He and the other elders teach the local tanuki advanced techniques of transformation, drawing power from natural elements like electricity and fire. He leads the planning for the final, massive Ghost Parade intended to halt construction. When this spectacular effort fails to change the humans' behavior, Kincho faces his most difficult decision. He is convinced by a fox named Ryutaro that the only way for tanuki to survive is to abandon their wild ways and live among humans by using their transformation abilities to pass as people. He presents this controversial idea to the community, inadvertently leading to a schism and the eventual disbanding of the tanuki as a unified force.

Key relationships define his role in the narrative. He is the father of Koharu, a young female tanuki who tends to a sick Tamasaburo, the representative from Tama Hills. Kincho eventually accepts Tamasaburo as his disciple and successor, training him in the deepest arts of transformation. He also interacts with the other two great sages, Yashimono and Inugami-Gyobu, with whom he shares the burden of leadership. His most pivotal relationship is with the fox Ryutaro, whose pragmatic advice about co-existing with humans ultimately sways Kincho’s thinking, for better or worse.

Kincho undergoes a significant development. He arrives as a figure of hope, wielding immense power and ancient knowledge to save the tanuki lands. Over time, he realizes that raw magical power is no match for the relentless progress of human society. His development is a journey from a warrior-sage to a pragmatic, if sorrowful, realist. He makes the difficult choice to advocate for integration and assimilation, a decision that saves many tanuki lives but signals the end of their traditional, magical way of life. By the story's end, he is one of the few elders to survive, continuing to guide those who choose to follow his new path while mourning what has been lost.

Regarding his notable abilities, Kincho is a master of the tanuki’s legendary skill of transformation. He is considered one of the three greatest and most powerful tanuki in Japan. His mastery is such that he can teach others how to draw on elemental forces and store spiritual energy. Like all tanuki, he can shape-shift into various forms, from human beings to fantastical creatures and inanimate objects, and he uses these skills both for grand spectacle and practical survival.