Senzaemon Nakiri is an elderly man distinguished by long spiky gray hair, a mustache, and a beard, bearing a prominent vertical scar running diagonally across his right eye from forehead to cheekbone. Despite his advanced age, he possesses a muscular and fit physique. He typically wears an olive-colored yukata secured by a white obi with geta sandals, adding a haori over this attire during formal events like the Tōtsuki Autumn Election. As the founder and former director of the elite Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, his formidable reputation in the culinary world earned him titles like "Food's Demon King" and "Gastric Godfather," reflecting his uncompromising standards and fearsome presence. His educational philosophy emphasizes tenacity, courage, and innovation, enforcing strict standards that result in high student expulsion rates for underperformance. He prioritizes merit impartially, demonstrated by overruling his granddaughter Erina's rejection of Sōma Yukihira's application and declaring Sōma's dish superior to his other granddaughter Alice Nakiri's during the Autumn Election. An exceptional response marks Senzaemon's experience of truly remarkable cooking: he involuntarily disrobes his upper garment. In rare instances, like tasting Megumi Tadokoro's dish, his fundoshi unravels instead, which he interprets as an indicator of a chef's hidden potential. His family history includes exiling his son-in-law, Azami Nakiri, upon discovering Azami subjected Erina to abusive training to hone her "God's Tongue" ability. Senzaemon then became Erina's legal guardian, dedicating himself to repairing her psychological damage. He strategically orchestrated the enrollment of key students, including Sōma, into the 92nd Generation, foreseeing the need for a resilient cohort—the "Jewel Generation"—to uphold Tōtsuki's values against future threats like Azami's eventual takeover. During Azami's regime, Senzaemon was ousted as director but collaborated with allies like Gin Dōjima and Jōichirō Yukihira to strategize resistance. He facilitated a mock team battle to train rebel students, emphasizing nonverbal coordination and adaptability. Following Azami's defeat, Senzaemon endorsed Erina as his successor to lead the academy. His later activities involve observing the BLUE cooking competition and supporting efforts to resolve the Nakiri family's conflicts, particularly concerning the "God's Tongue" curse affecting Erina and her mother, Mana.