Kanbei is a gambler who could read luck with his right eye. A legendary 'charisma' gambler, he is also known as つきよみのかんべえ tsukiyomi no kanbee, tsukiyomi meaning "(luck) easily attaches". He is first encountered by Gintoki and Hasegawa during their losing streak. After discovering that the legendary gambler is cheating, the three are taken prisoner by Kujaku Hime and told to play Mahjong against one of her players. During the match their opponent asks if Kanbei could really read luck to which he recalls the incident in which his eye was damaged. He had to cut his luck-reading right eye deliberately in order to rescue a friend who was held hostage.