Chifune Yanagisawa is a central figure in the anime film The Camphorwood Custodian, serving as the catalyst for the story's events. She is the wealthy half-sister of the protagonist Reito Naoi's deceased mother and holds a position of considerable influence as a key figure in the Yanagisawa family business. Her background is one of privilege and responsibility; she is a former leader of the Yanagisawa corporation, who has also previously served as the custodian of the legendary camphor tree at the Tsukigō shrine. In the present, she holds an advisory role within the company but is beginning to step back due to her age and the onset of cognitive decline.

Chifune is characterized by a commanding and elegant presence, carrying herself with a powerful confidence that immediately establishes her authority. She is portrayed as a wise and intelligent woman, a product of her upbringing and experience as a business leader. However, beneath this formidable exterior lies a layer of vulnerability, stemming from her waning health and the loneliness of her position as she watches her legacy be reshaped by others. Her motivations are deeply rooted in legacy, family, and the mysterious traditions surrounding the camphor tree. Discovering that her estranged nephew, Reito, has been arrested, she makes the decisive choice to intervene. Using her resources, she hires a lawyer to secure his release on a single, non-negotiable condition: he must become the next guardian of the camphor tree. Through this act, her primary motivation is to find a successor to take on the sacred duty she can no longer perform, entrusting this vital role to the last remaining connection she has to her family.

Her role in the story is that of the enigmatic benefactor and instigator. She pulls Reito from the brink of a criminal fate and places him in a world of ancient ritual and personal mystery. She serves as his demanding employer and distant relative, setting him on a path of self-discovery and forcing him to confront the true meaning of being a custodian. Regarding key relationships, her central dynamic is with Reito Naoi, her nephew. Their connection is complex, rooted in a distant familial tie rather than a close personal bond, which makes her decision to entrust him with such an important role all the more significant. She also has ties within the Yanagisawa family, including relatives such as Masakazu Yanagisawa, which hints at a larger family structure surrounding the family estate and shrine.

Throughout the narrative, Chifune remains a somewhat static figure of authority and mystery, but the revelation of her vulnerability adds significant depth to her character. Her development is primarily observed through Reito’s changing perception of her, as he moves from seeing her as a mysterious and demanding stranger to understanding her as a fallible woman carrying a heavy burden. Her notable abilities lie not in physical prowess, but in her sharp intellect, her commanding presence, and her deep, secret knowledge of the camphor tree's unique power to transmit thoughts and prayers, known as "nen". It is this profound understanding of the tree's spiritual significance that drives all her actions and makes her the rightful, if aging, keeper of its secrets.