Genjirō Tanigaki is a man of Matagi heritage from the Tohoku region of Japan who served as a Private First Class in the Imperial Japanese Army’s 7th Division. His background as a Matagi, a traditional community of bear hunters, shaped his deep knowledge of the wilderness, tracking, and survival skills. Tanigaki enlisted in the military driven by a personal tragedy: the death of his younger sister, Fumi. He came to believe that she was murdered by a man named Kenkichi Aoyama, and he joined the army with the intent of hunting him down. This quest for revenge, however, did not bring him peace. His experiences in the Russo-Japanese War left him disillusioned, and after the war, he felt lost, adrift without purpose or a place to belong.

Initially, Tanigaki presents a stern, aloof, and almost cold exterior. He speaks little and rarely smiles, a demeanor born from the grief of losing his sister and his mother, who died of sorrow shortly after. This emotional wound hardened him into a solitary individual. However, this exterior conceals a fundamentally caring and honorable nature. He possesses a strong sense of righteousness and is deeply loyal to those who earn his trust. Tanigaki is a man who feels a powerful need to repay debts of gratitude, a trait that becomes central to his journey. Despite his imposing, muscular build, he can be surprisingly shy, particularly about his body or his abilities as a dancer, showing a vulnerability that makes him more than just a stoic hunter.

Tanigaki’s primary motivation evolves from a quest for revenge into a search for belonging and purpose. After leaving the 7th Division, he finds himself caught between his old life and a new path. His time in the wilderness of Hokkaido, particularly after being rescued and nursed back to health by the Ainu elder Huci and the boy Osoma, allows him to reconnect with his Matagi roots. He feels a poison deep inside him slowly seep away when he is in the mountains, suggesting that his true calling is not as a soldier but as a hunter and protector. His growing respect for Ainu culture and his desire to protect Asirpa, Huci, and later Inkarmat, become his new driving forces, replacing the hollow pursuit of vengeance.

In the story, Tanigaki begins as an antagonist, a soldier pursuing the protagonists Sugimoto and Asirpa. This initial role is complicated when he is wounded and saved by Nihei, an older hunter, whose wisdom and kindness help Tanigaki begin to question his allegiance to the 7th Division. After a violent confrontation with his former comrades, Ogata and Nikaido, Tanigaki definitively severs his ties to the military. He stays behind in the Ainu village, donning traditional Ainu clothing given to him by Huci, symbolizing his adoption into a new community. He later embarks on a journey with the mystic Inkarmat to find and protect Asirpa, solidifying his role as a guardian rather than a soldier.

Key relationships define Tanigaki’s arc. His bond with Tetsuzō Nihei is pivotal; Nihei serves as a mentor who rekindles Tanigaki’s hunter’s spirit and helps him find value in himself again. His integration into the Ainu community, especially with the grandmother Huci and the young boy Cikapasi, provides him with the family and sense of purpose he had lost. His relationship with Inkarmat deepens from a traveling companion to a romantic partner, and he becomes fiercely dedicated to her safety. His former comrade, Hyakunosuke Ogata, acts as a dark foil, representing the cold, calculating path Tanigaki could have remained on. Finally, his interactions with Saichi Sugimoto shift from enmity to a complex, grudging respect and eventual alliance, as both men, in their own ways, are lost souls searching for meaning.

Tanigaki’s character development is one of the most compelling in the series. He transforms from a bitter, revenge-driven soldier into a gentle, protective, and honorable man. The pivotal moment comes when he confronts the dying Kenkichi Aoyama on the battlefield and learns the truth: his sister died of smallpox, and Aoyama burned her body to protect the family from shame. Stripped of his revenge, Tanigaki is left with nothing but sorrow, but this release from hatred allows him to eventually open his heart to others. His journey with the Ainu people completes his transformation, as he sheds his military identity and fully embraces the life of a Matagi and a family man, finding peace not in battle, but in protecting those he loves.

As a Matagi, Tanigaki possesses exceptional hunting and survival skills, allowing him to track prey, navigate harsh terrain, and live off the land with ease. He is also a highly proficient sharpshooter, well-versed in the use of rifles. His equipment includes the Arisaka Type 30 rifle from his military days and later the Murata rifle, which once belonged to Nihei, carrying on the legacy of his mentor. Beyond his physical and combat abilities, Tanigaki is intelligent and observant, often letting others speak first while he assesses a situation, giving him a strategic advantage. He is also an excellent cook, using his knowledge of ingredients like walnuts to prepare traditional foods such as kanemochi, which helps him connect with others and survive in the wild.