Golden Kamuy is highly acclaimed for its excellent storyline, which unfolds against the backdrop of the traditions and culture of the Ainu people of Hokkaido. The main story revolves around the search for gold that is said to have been hidden by the Ainu. Clues to the gold are tattooed on the skins of prisoners. So how many have been collected so far? This time, we'll be focusing on what we know so far about prisoner skins.
[Golden Kamuy] What is Prisoner Skin?
Source: Golden Kamuy © Satoru Noda / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
It's literally a map-like tattoo carved into the prisoner's skin, considered a code. There are 24 prisoners with tattoos in total, but currently, about 17 of them have appeared in the story. Sadly, the prisoner's skin is designed to be cut into a single map, similar to the process of skinning a bear, meaning that unless you can replicate it, you must kill them.
[Golden Kamuy] Goto, the Man of Beginnings
Source: Golden Kamuy © Noda Satoru / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Goto is the man who, while drunk, tells the protagonist Sugimoto about the Ainu's hidden gold nuggets. He is attacked and killed by a brown bear, but surprisingly, he has tattoos on his body. Suddenly, Sugimoto believes Goto's story, and the story begins.
[Golden Kamuy] The man killed by Sugimoto in Otaru, whose name I don't know
Source: Golden Kamuy © Noda Satoru / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Sugimoto and Asirpa capture this man in an animal trap. Asirpa copies the man's tattoo. However, at that moment, Ogata shoots and kills him. It was from this man that I heard the story of Nopperabo.
[Golden Kamuy] Escape King: Shiraishi Yoshitake
Source: Golden Kamuy © Noda Satoru / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Shiraishi, the escape king who can easily dislocate his shoulder joints and has repeatedly escaped from various prisons, agrees to split the gold and begins working with Sugimoto and his friends. He mediates when Sugimoto and Asirpa fight, is easily tempted by money, and is often the butt of teasing. He's the mood maker of the gang.
[Golden Kamuy] The Unrivaled Grandpa: Hijikata Toshizo
Source: Golden Kamuy ©Noda Satoru/Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Hijikata Toshizo, who orchestrated the prison break and is himself tattooed. He teams up with Nagakura Shinpachi, a master swordsman from the Shinsengumi era, to form one of the three major forces seeking the gold. He is also acquainted with Shiraishi, who is in fact connected to Hijikata.
[Golden Kamuy] Tatsuma Ushiyama, the Man with a Fishcake on His Forehead
Source: Golden Kamuy © Satoru Noda / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Tatsuma Ushiyama, a man with a fishcake-like lump on his forehead, is a judoka known as the "Undefeated Ushiyama." He has a strong sexual desire and demands immediate sexual intercourse. Asirpa calls him "Dick Sensei," but he doesn't seem to mind at all. He is familiar with Hijikata and Shiraishi, and is currently a member of Hijikata's gang.
Tsuyama Appears as a Skin in [Golden Kamuy]
Source: Golden Kamuy ©Noda Satoru/Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
The skin worn by Lieutenant Tsurumi was originally that of a man named Tsuyama. It's unclear how he was skinned, but considering it's Lieutenant Tsurumi, he's probably no longer with us.
[Golden Kamuy] Nihei Tetsuzo, an Excellent Hunter
Source: Golden Kamuy © Noda Satoru / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Nihei Tetsuzo, who targeted the Hokkaido wolf that was watching over Asirpa, was also a tattooed ex-convict. He went hunting for the Hokkaido wolf with Tanigaki, but was sadly defeated by Sugimoto. He was such a skilled hunter that it was said that if he went into the mountains to hunt brown bears, the bears would disappear.
[Golden Kamuy] Kazuo Henmi, the Man Who Wants to Be Killed
Source: Golden Kamuy © Satoru Noda / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Kazuo Henmi, a tattooed ex-convict who went into hiding as a fisherman, desperately resisted the urge to be killed himself after witnessing his younger brother being killed by a wild boar as a child. Sugimoto, who wishes to be killed, ends up being killed by a Shachi whale for some reason. He described the final scene as the best!
[Golden Kamuy] Kano Ienaga, Owner of a Murder Hotel
Source: Golden Kamuy © Noda Satoru / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
He's a former doctor who cross-dresses, but he's also a pleasure killer and has tattoos. Posing as a hotel hostess, she indiscriminately murders guests. She is a former doctor who saves Sugimoto after he is shot.
[Golden Kamuy] Hinori's Mother, a Tough Yakuza in a Post Town
Source: Golden Kamuy ©Noda Satoru/Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
The Hinori family is one of the forces controlling the gambling dens in the post town of Barato. The mother of the Hinedori family was in possession of a prisoner's skin. In fact, her son had a different father. She had kept this a secret from her father until his father found out during a conflict, and her husband beat her to death. Hijikata later obtained the skin.
[Golden Kamuy] Wakayama Teruichiro, the Man Who Loves His Underling Devotedly
Source: Golden Kamuy © Noda Satoru / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Wakayama used to make money by rigging horse races, but by chance, Kiroranke became a jockey, and his plan was foiled. He returns to seek revenge with his underling Nakazawa. In fact, the two are lovers. They are homosexuals. Furthermore, when Sugimoto and the others saw Wakayama's upper body they thought he had no tattoos, but in fact he had an Ainu gold nugget tattoo on his lower body. In the end, both of them were killed by a bear. It appears that Sugimoto then skinned them.
[Golden Kamuy] Prisoner Skins Owned by Edogai
Source: Golden Kamuy © Noda Satoru / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
He is an eccentric craftsman who creates leatherwork using human corpses. He was given two prisoner skins by Lieutenant Tsurumi for reference and created a counterfeit. However, he lost one of the prisoner skins during an attack by Hijikata and his men. It is still unknown whether it was genuine or a fake.
[Golden Kamuy] Marriage Swindler: Masahiro Suzuki
Source: Golden Kamuy © Satoru Noda / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Suzuki, the fake village chief, was hiding out in an Ainu village. He was trying to survive by selling information about the Anebata Sect, but he ended up rescuing Shiraishi, who had just been captured. As a con man, he was able to make his way into the village, but in the end, his lie was exposed and he was shot dead.
[Golden Kamuy] Lightning Thief - Keiichiro Sakamoto
Source: Golden Kamuy © Satoru Noda / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
He is the husband of Viper Ogin, and the couple were involved in robberies. He also had tattoos of prisoners, and the couple were trying to collect prisoner skins. One day, they received information that a certain gambling den had prisoner skins. They broke into the den to rob it, but engaged in combat with the 7th Division. In the end, both the husband and wife died.
[Golden Kamuy] Anebata Shidon's Overwhelming Love for Animals
Source: Golden Kamuy © Noda Satoru / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Anebata Shidon, who loved animals dearly, also had a prisoner's tattoo. His overwhelming love for animals led him to die with his object still pierced in the brown bear. Can overwhelming love sometimes drive a person to madness?
[Golden Kamuy] The Blind Sniper: Totan Anshi
Source: Golden Kamuy © Noda Satoru / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
While soaking in a hot spring, Sugimoto and his friends were attacked by Totan Anshi and his men. Despite being blind, Totan Anshi fights by relying on sound and smell. With the help of Ryu (the dog), Sugimoto and his friends manage to escape. Ogata fights back, still naked. The battle continued, and Hijikata finally showed up.
[Golden Kamuy] Maiji Iwaki Loves Saunas
Source: Golden Kamuy © Satoru Noda/Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
A Russian man who fought a strenka with Sugimoto. They fought a fierce battle, but in the end, everyone went to the sauna together! He was a passionate man, and he said that punching was a form of self-expression.
[Golden Kamuy] Prisoner Skins: The Finale
Source: Golden Kamuy © Satoru Noda / Shueisha, Golden Kamuy Production Committee
Thank you for watching until the end. Which faction will be the first to collect these prisoner skins and solve the mystery?! I'm increasingly curious to see what happens next. The main story has now finally entered Russia. There are still so many mysteries, and it seems like it will be a while before we learn the secrets!
