noun (from the manga/
anime "Gintama" by Hideaki Sorachi); the main protagonist of the story. He is the founder of the Yorozuya (a freelance group) and is also a highly skilled samurai. In Yorozuya, he works with Shimura Shinpachi and Kagura. He enjoys eating sweet things and picking his nose in public. Other than the name 'Gintoki', he is also commonly referred to as Gin-chan or Gin-
san. He has silver hair and a natural perm. He wears a black shirt and
pants with red linings, and a white yukata (a
summer kimono) with light blue patterns worn sloppily, draped over his left shoulder. His weapon of choice is usually a bokutou, a wooden katana, engraved with the word Touyako (or literally Lake Toya) on the handle, carried by his waist. During Joui wars, he was known as the legendary Shiroyasha (a.k.a. White
Demon). According to Sorachi, Gintoki's name was
based from Sakata Kintoki, also known as Kintaro, from a famous folk tale set in the Heian Perod. He does not like killing, willing to adapt his bushido to other people or the current times in order to avoid needless loss of lives which is the most probable reason for his carrying a wooden sword and not a
real version. He is the target of the masochistic
ninja stalker Sarutobi Ayame and he has a crush on the weather-
girl Ketsuno
Ana.
Sakata Gintoki's quote: "The
country? The skies? You can have them. I'm busy just protecting what's right in front of me. I don't know what'll happen to me in the
future, but if something has fallen at my
feet, then the least I can do is pick it up."
