Kumetarou Inaba

The leader of the touring boxing group. He used to be a challenger for the Japanese featherweight title. He later became the only person who understands Joe within the touring boxing group.

He urged Joe to go back to Danpei and his friends and to try to get back into the boxing world. He convinces Joe who then leaves the match that they are having. The people watching the match then gets really angry but inaba and the other boxers start fighting them and they make them say ''Banzai!'' to Joe before he leaves.