Tawashi, Inspector
Also known as 田鷲警部 (Tawashi Keibu)
Hello, My Name (in English) is…
Police Inspector Tawashi is named for his most distinguishing facial feature – the fact that his moustache looks like a tawashi (田鷲) or “scrub brush” in Japanese.
Distinguishing Features
Although possibly related to Nylon, given a certain family resemblance, you can’t miss is large cylindrical nose and his distinguished, scrub brush-like moustache.
Status: Secondary Star (★★)
Another of Tezuka’s “long arm of the law” Stars, he is similar to Inspector Geta in that both almost always appear as police investigators, and both are known for their dedication to their job. However, while Geta is known for his honesty and uprightness, Tawashi is mostly known for his suspicion of people. He is suspicious not only of Tezuka’s regular villains such as Hamegg and Lamp, or of ambiguous characters such as Rock Holmes, but is even critical and untrusting of such figures as Astro Boy. Luckily, he is usually paired with the much more affable Nakamura, who’s character serves as a type of counter-balance to his suspicious nature.
Notable Roles
Inspector Tawashi made his debut in the Astro Boy (1952-68) chapter “Gas People” – the appearance that earned him his name – and is very closely tied to the series. However, despite this, he’s also made appearances in Wonder 3 (1965-66), Black Jack (1973-83), Rainbow Parakeet (1980-81), and Don Dracula (1979), among a few others.
Manga Appearances
If you spot an appearance not already listed, please let us know in the comments section below!
1952
Astro Boy (“Gas People“) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Frankenstein“) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1953
Astro Boy (“Red Cat”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1954
Astro Boy (“Cobalt”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Fuhrer ZZZ”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1955
Astro Boy (“Electro”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Youth Gas”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Yellow Horse”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Chief Detective Kenichi (“The Case of the Gorilla”) as “the police detective”
1956
Astro Boy (“Atlas”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“The Midoro Swamp”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1957
Astro Boy (“Black Lux”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Lion Books (“Multiple-Eyed Devil”) as “the gambling field manager” and “the police officer”
1958
Astro Boy (“Crucifix Island”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Mad Machine”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Count Bat”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
The Three Who Glimpse the Future as “the police officer”
1959
Astro Boy (“The Eyes of Christ”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“The Artificial Sun”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1960
Astro Boy (“Space Snow Leopard”] as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“The Invisible Giant”] as “Inspector Tawashi”
1961
Astro Boy (“The White-Hot Being”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“The Hot Dog Corps”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“The Blast Furnace Mystery”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“The Third Magician”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1963
Astro Boy (“The Devil’s Balloons”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1964
Astro Boy (“The Lying Robot”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“The Brain Swap”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1965
Astro Boy (“Robio And Robiette”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Blue Knight” ) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Slippery Catfish in Imminent Danger”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Atom’s Been Stolen”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Broadcasts from Outer Space”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Wonder 3 as “a member of Phoenix”
1966
Astro Boy (“Astro Boy Reborn”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1967
Astro Boy (“Zolomon’s Jewels”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Astro Boy (“Beginning of the Contradiction”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1968
Astro Boy (“The Man Who Returned from Mars”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1973
Black Jack (“Miyuki and Ben“) as “a police officer”
1974
Black Jack (“Captain Park“) as “a police officer”
Black Jack (“Eyewitness“) as “a police officer”
Black Jack (“Two Loves“) as “a police officer”
1975
Black Jack (“Seat of Pleasure“) as “a police officer”
Black Jack (“Revenge“) as “a police officer”
Black Jack (“Hospital Jack“) as “a police officer”
Black Jack (“Con Man, Aspiring“) as “a police officer”
Astro Boy (“Astro Boy II”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
1976
Black Jack (“Hurricane“) as “the airplane pilot”
Black Jack (“Showa Shinzan“) as “the helicoptor pilot”
Horror Tales of Yotsuya as “the doctor’s husband”
1977
Black Jack (“Lost Youth“) as “a Ring Oil staff member”
Black Jack (“To Each his Own“) as “a police officer”
The Three-Eyed One (“Pibagon Appears!”) as “the police officer”
1978
Futureman Kaos as “the police officer”
1979
Don Dracula (“Dracula, After All”) as “the police detective”
1980
1981
Astro Boy [Second Grader] (“The Magnet Robot”) as “Inspector Tawashi”
Rainbow Parakeet (“Shuzenji’s Story”) as “the police officer”
1982
Rainbow Parakeet (“The Six Characters Who Look for the Author”) as “a member of the theatre audience”
Rainbow Parakeet (“The Final Act”) as “the police officer”
1986
Atom Cat (“The Birth of Atom Cat”)
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