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."
