Kagome's grandfather and the head priest of the Higurashi Shrine, which has been in their family for generations. He's basically always in full traditional Shinto priest regalia, and he takes his role as the shrine's caretaker pretty seriously.
He's best known for coming up with creative (and often hilariously thin) excuses to cover for Kagome whenever she mysteriously disappears from school. Her friends definitely notice and definitely worry, though Grandpa's explanations are entertaining enough that nobody's quite caught on to what's really going on.
Fans often note that he's got an obsession with tying the shrine's history—or really, any history—into casual conversation. He'll launch into earnest lectures about basically anything, from family heirlooms to the "historical significance" of their pickles, much to Kagome's embarrassment. It's endearing in that annoying grandpa way, though it says something about his commitment to keeping the shrine's traditions alive within the family.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
