Shinsuke is a friend of Daisuke and around the same age as he is. He has bigger role in the anime. In the manga, he first appears when he is skiing with Daisuke and Daisuke explains the boy the history of the area and about Akakabuto. This hints that Shinsuke is possibly a tourist and not a local villager. He is later seen when he comes to tell Daisuke that Gohee is acting violent towards doctors and later warns Daisuke about the old man's cruel methods of bear hound training.