Tsubaki has spiky burgundy-brown hair tied in a short ponytail, dark brown eyes, and distinctive freckles across the bridge of his nose. His standard attire consists of a light gray samurai jacket over a white shirt, dark red samurai pants secured with light red belts, white socks, and light green and brown sandals. For combat, he switches to a dark green and black high-collared midriff shirt, black pants with red bows, dark green leggings, and black shoes, wielding a short ninja sword as his primary weapon.

As the eldest and most mature group member, Tsubaki acts as a peacemaker, actively managing his comrades' energetic and eccentric behaviors to uphold order and discipline. This requires frequent intervention to prevent conflicts, particularly stemming from twins Enju and Kaede’s antics or Shitan’s flirtatious tendencies during port visits. Despite his calm demeanor, Tsubaki displays a volatile temper when provoked, leading to explosive reactions like ordering Makaba to forcibly remove disobedient crewmates from the ship. He functions as the de facto caretaker for Enju and Kaede, overseeing their conduct despite their disruptive mischief, and relies on Makaba as his enforcer to implement discipline.

Tsubaki handles practical duties such as cooking, demonstrating expertise in preparing traditional dishes like kobiru. His interactions with Fena Houtman involve cautious trust in her judgment, though her exuberance clashes with his preference for tranquility. He maintains strained tolerance toward Shitan, chiefly due to the latter’s culinary experiments and womanizing habits during shore leave.

In combat, Tsubaki employs his ninja sword with proficiency. His non-combat skills include organizational methods like the ghost leg lottery system for assigning ship duties, reinforcing his role in maintaining operational efficiency.