Osamu Kirin

"There's a British proverb that goes like this: "When in you find yourself in Rome, you should do as the Romans do." Which means while visiting an unfamiliar place, blend in."

- Osamu Kirin to Towa Higurashi

 is the English teacher at Saint Gabriel Academy and Towa Higurashi's homeroom teacher. In secretly however, he is also the second incarnation of the qilin daiyōkai Lord of the Eastern Lands Kirinmaru.

History
600 years ago in the, Kirinmaru lost his right arm in a battle with Tōga: he returned to his ship with his severed arm, and Zero ordered Riku to dispose of it. Riku dropped the arm in the Bone-Eater's Well where it stayed to the, once there, it formed itself into the being known as Osamu Kirin until in 2000 in the , Kagome Higurashi went back in time to the Sengoku jidai. He went on to become a teacher at Saint Gabriel's Academy in the.

Osamu lectured Towa and the fact that she was late and caught fighting with gang members. However, he opted not to tell Sōta and Moe Higurashi, and let the incident slide.

A few days later, Towa was looking out the window during Osamu's class, and he approached her, jokingly saying that whatever is out there won't save her from his class.

A sometime later, Osamu came to as he saw the Grim Comet approaching, and commented that it appears even in the Reiwa era before spotting Sōta with his younger daughter, as his wife arrives from her trip in around the world where the orchestra concert is. He also took notice when Sōta said that nobody else could see the comet with the naked eye.

As Towa continues to be absent from school, he conveniently spends even more time with the Higurashi family as he looks for clues about himself, but he does not want to tell them why. He looks around and is sad about Bone-Eater's Well (but he didn't know that it's covered by the well house). He stands next to the Sacred Tree of Ages, trying to think of what to do without asking them for help.

Personality
Osamu is a very calm and friendly teacher. He does not approve of Towa's fighting, tardiness, and absences. For unknown reasons, he does not punish her. When viewing the Grim Comet, he was shown to be aware of its existence with his glasses, and was stern when understanding that regular humans in the future cannot perceive the comet in the sky. He has an attachment to the Higurashi shrine, his place of birth. His personality is not unlike Riku as he can be as gentle and cunning.

Physical description
Kirin seem to be on Kirinmaru's similar height, as well as his face partially being concealed. He has slightly tanned skin, long brown hair, and wears a pair of dark gray glasses, whose eye color is currently unknown as so far he hasn't been seen without them. He wears a white shirt with a green tie underneath a greenish brown blazer, matching greenish brown pants, and brown shoes. He also wears a light brown trench coat with a gray belt, a grayish blue scarf, and a pair of dark gray gloves during winter.

Powers and abilities

 * Slash Barrage: Osamu uses his two fingers to make the slash to stop the Shibugarasu to save Mei and her friends including Itsumi.

Weakness

 * Linked Fate: Being an incarnation of Kirinmaru, Osamu Kirin would perish when Kirinmaru does.

Relationships
Being his creator, he is very loyal to the Beast King of the Eastern Lands, allowing him to see and hear exactly what he does all through to the modern era. It is through him that Kirinmaru desires to go to the modern era and obliterate the Grim Comet for humanity and be worshiped as a god.
 * Kirinmaru

A student of his at Saint Gabriel Academy, he let her first day of tardiness slide much to her shock. He even showed concern for her long-term absence from school.
 * Towa Higurashi

He blissfully introduced himself to Towa's relatives, easily recognizing all of them while he was out stargazing. He discussed the comet with him in order to find out how much they know.
 * Sōta Higurashi

They have encountered each other so often, that she politely demanded that he go see Sōta regarding Towa's absence. However, he continues to vouch for her as long as he has unlimited access to the Higurashi shrine.
 * Ms. Higurashi

In a clandestine search for clues about his birth, Osamu Kirin asked Grandpa Higurashi if he still had any of the Shikon no Tama keychain to sell.
 * Grandpa Higurashi

With no one else to turn to, he places his hand on the trunk of the insuperable entity of time to ask for its infinite wisdom and advice on what to do now he has become an anomaly in the fabric of time.
 * Sacred Tree of Ages

She is very kind and polite to Osamu, who is also very kind to her. Osamu later protects her and her friends from the Shibugarasu by destroying them.
 * Mei Higurashi

Trivia

 * Osamu Kirin's Japanese voice actor (Yoshimasa Hosoya) and English voice actor (Crispin Freeman) both voiced Kirinmaru.
 * His connection with Kirinmaru was hinted first given to his name and that they have the same voice. It would then be confirmed with his foreboding notice of the Grim Comet appearing in the Reiwa Era and when Kirinmaru of the Feudal era states that the comet even does appears in the modern era.
 * He, like Riku, is an incarnation of Kirinmaru, given that just like with Riku, Kirinmaru is able to see and hear through Kirin. This was proven when he was interacting with the Sacred Tree of Ages, as while he was doing it, there's a glowing symbol on his right arm.
 * The Sacred Tree of Ages refers to him as "the foreign body" ordering the Half-Demon Princesses to put an end to him to save all that exists.

Media appearances

 * Episode 2 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 4 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 22 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 23 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 28 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 39 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 40 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 41 (Hanyō no Yashahime)