Kunai Maekawa

Maekawa is serious about swordsmanship and retains a strong competitive interest in skilled fighters even as he grows older. Hearing that an exceptional rurouni is staying at the Kamiya Dojo naturally makes him curious about Kenshin.

His experience also gives him excellent judgment. When he finally meets Kenshin and considers testing him, Maekawa recognizes the depth of Kenshin's ability without needing an actual match.

At the same time, he is realistic about the difficulties facing traditional sword schools in the Meiji period. Kenjutsu has declined in popularity, and maintaining a functioning dojo requires compromises that an older warrior might once have considered unnecessary.

Maekawa is an accomplished practitioner and instructor of Chuetsu-ryu. He is regarded as one of the stronger established kenjutsu teachers in the Tokyo area and has devoted much of his life to swordsmanship.

His perceptiveness is one of the clearest demonstrations of his experience. Merely observing Kenshin is enough for him to understand that the rurouni operates on a level beyond an ordinary dojo match.

Raijuuta nevertheless overwhelms him. The encounter establishes that even a respected Meiji-era dojo master is vulnerable to the more destructive swordsmanship practiced by exceptional combatants.

Maekawa invites Kaoru and her companions to his dojo for training. He is interested in meeting Kenshin after hearing rumors about the extraordinary swordsman staying at the Kamiya Dojo.

Before any meaningful match between them occurs, Raijuuta arrives and challenges Maekawa. Raijuuta mocks contemporary kenjutsu and defeats the older instructor, intending to demonstrate the superiority of his own philosophy.

Kenshin prevents the confrontation from becoming still more destructive, beginning his direct involvement with Raijuuta.

During the Jinchuu campaign, Inui Banjin attacks the Maekawa Dojo because of its connection to Kenshin and brutally injures Maekawa and his students. After recovering, Maekawa decides to retire as the dojo's instructor and entrust its future to a younger successor.

Koshijirou Kamiya was Maekawa's friend, creating the longstanding connection between the Maekawa and Kamiya schools.

Kaoru Kamiya is welcomed at Maekawa's dojo and participates in joint training there.

Kenshin Himura interests Maekawa as an extraordinarily skilled swordsman. Maekawa is perceptive enough to recognize Kenshin's superiority without needing to fight him.

Raijuuta Isurugi challenges and defeats Maekawa while attacking what he sees as the weakness of Meiji-era kenjutsu.

Inui Banjin later attacks the Maekawa Dojo as part of the campaign against people connected to Kenshin, leaving Maekawa seriously injured.