Taro Sakamoto
Taro Sakamoto is the main protagonist of the manga SAKAMOTO DAYS and its related media. Formerly feared as a legendary hitman and a member of the elite assassin unit ORDER under the Japanese Association of Assassins, he retired from the contract killing industry after falling in love. He now operates a small local store called Sakamoto Store, living a quiet life alongside his beloved family and close companions.
Overview
Taro Sakamoto is the main protagonist of the manga SAKAMOTO DAYS and its related media. Formerly feared as a legendary hitman and a member of the elite assassin unit ORDER under the Japanese Association of Assassins, he retired from the contract killing industry after falling in love. He now operates a small local store called Sakamoto Store, living a quiet life alongside his beloved family and close companions.
Appearance
Sakamoto is depicted as a chubby middle-aged man with silver hair tied into a bun, a small mustache, a double chin, and round custom-made bulletproof glasses that frequently crack when he is startled. He is also sometimes seen without glasses. When consuming immense calories during intense combat, his mustache vanishes and he temporarily reverts to his sharp, lean appearance from his hitman era. His attire typically includes long-sleeved collared shirts, jackets, and black trousers.
Personality
Though naturally quiet and stoic, Sakamoto is an exceptionally kind-hearted man who cannot ignore those in trouble. He is widely trusted by his neighbors like a local handyman and holds strong everyday morals, showing deep respect for others. At home, he is a deeply devoted husband and doting father who defers completely to his wife, Aoi. He views his store employees as part of his family and fiercely protects them, though his tendency to shoulder every burden alone sometimes drives him to take reckless risks.
Abilities
Despite upholding a strict vow never to kill, Sakamoto retains extraordinary physical capabilities and hand-to-hand combat prowess. His signature fighting style relies on improvised combat, utilizing whatever ambient objects are at hand—such as ballpoint pens, flyers, tongs, pans, or ice cream sticks—as lethal tools or defense mechanisms. He can disarm firearms at point-blank range, deflect bullets, and punch through solid concrete. Burning calories temporarily restores his prime physical state, granting him speed equal to active ORDER members, though at the cost of rapid stamina depletion. He is also highly skilled in weapon assembly and vehicle operation.
Background
Having grown up without parents, Sakamoto attended an assassin training school where he was known as a troublemaker alongside classmates Yoichi Nagumo and Rion Akao. He later joined the ranks of ORDER, but retired five years ago after falling in love with Aoi, a store clerk. Rebuilding his safehouse into the Sakamoto Store, he settled down into family life with his wife and their daughter, Hana. However, his peaceful routine is disrupted when a ten-billion-yen bounty is placed on his head, drawing relentless attacks from rival assassins and hostile organizations.
Relationships
Sakamoto is completely devoted to his wife, Aoi Sakamoto, and strictly honors his promise to her never to take another life. He adores his daughter, Hana Sakamoto. He takes in his former apprentice Shin Asakura, along with Lu Xiaotang and sniper Heisuke Mashimo, treating them as employees and cherished family members. He shares a long history with his former training school classmates Yoichi Nagumo and Rion Akao, and remains tied to complex past conflicts involving Kei Uzuki.
Trivia
The initial design concept for Taro Sakamoto was inspired by Mitsuyoshi Anzai from the manga SLAM DUNK, originating from the playful premise of imagine if Anzai were an assassin. Additionally, the recurring visual trope of his glasses cracking during moments of shock serves as a comedic running gag throughout the series.
