Chōan Kumagishi is a minor but memorable character in the story of Golden Kamuy. His background is that of a skilled counterfeiter. He was originally arrested and imprisoned for creating fake money, but his talents also extended to forging works of art. Officially, he was reported to have died during an escape attempt from Kabato Prison, but in truth, he survived and was living in hiding within an Ainu village, sheltered among other escaped criminals.

Kumagishi is portrayed as a down-to-earth and affable individual. Despite being a criminal, he is not violent or malicious; his primary motivation for his crimes was simply to feed himself. He is pragmatic and preoccupied with survival, which explains his decision to remain hidden and live a quiet life away from the chaos of the gold rush. His intelligence is evident in his craft, and he is characterized by a sense of regret later in life, wishing he had created art that truly made a difference in the world.

His role in the plot is specific and crucial. When both Hijikata’s group and Sugimoto’s group discover that the Seventh Division has employed a master forger to create fake tattooed skins, they seek out Kumagishi for his unique expertise. As a master counterfeiter, he possesses the knowledge needed to distinguish the authentic convict skins from the fraudulent copies, making him a key asset in the verification process.

Kumagishi has a significant, albeit indirect, relationship with Yoshitake Shiraishi, the Escape King. Years before the main story, when Shiraishi was imprisoned, he asked a despondent Kumagishi to draw a picture of a woman he longed to see. Though the resulting doodle looked like a child’s crude sketch, it was in fact an exact likeness of the woman. This small, seemingly insignificant drawing had a profound emotional impact on Shiraishi, inspiring him to escape from prison for the first time. That single act of art fundamentally changed Shiraishi’s life, setting him on the path to becoming the legendary escape artist. This creates a poignant dramatic irony, as Kumagishi spends his final days lamenting that his art never changed anyone, unaware that one of his simple doodles had already done so.

Kumagishi meets his end shortly after being found. He is killed soon after his location is discovered, preventing him from playing a further part in the treasure hunt. His notable ability lies in his understanding of forgery and authentication. He is an expert in the materials and techniques required to create high-quality fakes, which gives him the rare capability to identify forgeries with a high degree of accuracy.