Kaname Tanuma is a calm and quiet boy who is one of Takashi Natsume's closest friends in Natsume's Book of Friends. He has a strong but sensitive side, often worrying about his friends but supporting them when needed. Kaname is the son of a temple priest, and his home is an old temple in Yatsuhara. He has some spiritual abilities that let him sense and sometimes see spirits, which brings both challenges and special connections in his daily life. He was the first friend who learned about Takashi's spiritual powers and even saw the secret of Madara. Although shy at first, Kaname became an important part of Takashi’s friend group, helping out in both normal and supernatural troubles.
Kaname is a 15-year-old boy.
He is 171 cm tall.
His blood type is O.
His birthday is September 17.
He has black hair.
Kaname is slim, and was called “bean sprout” by Katsumi Shibata, much like Takashi Natsume.
He usually wears his bangs long, but after cutting them once for better eyesight, he grew them back because of fans' requests.
He refers to himself as “ore.”
Kaname is calm, quiet, and very thoughtful.
He tends to keep to himself and does not get overly emotional.
He sincerely tries to help his friends, sharing both their worries and happy moments.
He is humble and not a show-off, which makes him easily trusted by others.
He understands Takashi’s wish to keep his spiritual secrets hidden from the Fujiwara family.
Kaname transferred to class 1 with Takashi Natsume, making him both a classmate and a close friend.
He moved to the old temple in Yatsuhara with his father, who works as a temple priest.
Kaname grew up with weak health as a child and was often sick.
His family includes his father, known as Tanuma's Father.
Kaname has spiritual abilities, known as “spirit senses.”
He can sense the presence of spirits, feel their energy, and sometimes see their shadows.
His powers are not as strong as Takashi Natsume’s, but still strong enough to sometimes attract spirits to him.
His father’s spiritual energy, gathered through temple training, sometimes caused Kaname to feel sick from the strong spiritual atmosphere at home.
His special eyes are different from both Takashi and Seiji Matoba according to Ban, and are called “mysterious eyes.”
Kaname once became possessed by a spirit, seeing what Takashi sees daily in the spirit world. He called the experience “a bit fun,” despite it worrying Takashi.
Being around Takashi and Madara, who both have strong spiritual power, has made Kaname’s own abilities grow stronger over time.
He is easy for spirits to possess or influence.
Friendships
Kaname is Takashi Natsume's close friend and the first to know about his powers.
He developed trust with Takashi over time, growing closer as they shared more about their lives and feelings.
He is also friends with Atsushi Kitamoto and Atsushi Nishimura, and often spends time with Takashi and them as a group.
He became close to Touru Taki through Takashi; the three sometimes work together on spirit problems.
He protected Takashi emotionally and joined forces with friends to help when Takashi lost his memories and became a child.
He has nicknames for Madara, calling him “Nyan-Nyan Sensei” and “Ponta.”
With Katsumi Shibata, Kaname shares a rivalry over who is skinnier, both being called “bean sprout.”
Understanding
Kaname can sense when Takashi is keeping secrets for good reasons, especially about the Fujiwara family.
He supports Takashi’s decision to keep the spiritual world and problems a secret from those who might be hurt by it.
“A bit fun.”
Becoming Friends
Kaname transferred in after Takashi Natsume, and they became close friends.
Kaname was the first friend Takashi told about his spiritual powers.
He also learned Madara’s secret.
At first, their friendship had uncertainty, as Kaname noticed Takashi sometimes avoided sharing too much, fearing he might put Kaname in danger.
With time, they built trust and shared deeper feelings, including stories about Reiko Natsume.
Unusual Encounters
Kaname once became possessed by a spirit, seeing the world as Takashi does, which worried Takashi but was an interesting experience for Kaname.
He often joins Takashi and friends on small trips, sometimes helping out with tasks or fun events away from spiritual troubles.
Friend Group
Together with Kitamoto and Nishimura, Kaname has enjoyed both normal and supernatural adventures, growing close as a friend group.
He and Taki both reassured Takashi, showing their support when Takashi lost his memories due to spirit trouble.
In one story, Kaname and friends went into the Omibashira’s mansion to rescue Takashi, facing some scary spirit scenes.
He noticed how hard it was for Takashi to hide important things from the Fujiwara family, and sympathized with his struggles.
He met Shuuichi Natori and his familiars in person during one of these incidents.
Everyday Moments
He once cooked fried rice together with other boys staying over, ending up with an “omelet fried rice” that turned out tasty.
Handedness
There are many hints that Kaname is left-handed.
In the anime, he holds a branch with his left hand. In the manga, he wears a watch on the right wrist, carries his bag in the left hand, and clicks a pen with the left.
In chapter 111 of the manga, when he throws something badly with his right hand, someone says, “You used the wrong hand, Kaname!” making it clear his main hand is the left—even if he sometimes mixes it up.
Kaname ranked 6th in the LaLa 2018 November character popularity poll.
He was once called “bean sprout” alongside Takashi for being skinny.
He has unique nicknames for Madara.
Kaname’s quiet and mature style, spiritual talents, and gentle friendship make him a special part of Takashi Natsume’s world in Natsume’s Book of Friends.
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