Santōka Taneda

Santōka Taneda (種田 山頭火,) is the director of the Special Division for Unusual Powers.

Appearance
Taneda is a middle-aged man, bald and with green eyes. He wears a pair of glasses and he is always seen wearing a kimono under a black haori (a traditional Japanese thigh-length kimono-style jacket, commonly worn by men).

Personality
Not much is known about his personality. According to Fukuzawa, Taneda has "a ridiculous personality, a strange man in terms of a normal person."

Ability
His ability Hail in the Begging Bowl (の中へも,) allows him to see through the nature of someone's ability immediately if activated near him.

Background
Not much is known about his past. It's hinted that he helped on the creation of the Armed Detective Agency and was also the one who helped Osamu Dazai to find a job in the Agency after he left the Port Mafia.

Dark Era Arc
Together with Ōgai Mori, Taneda is called for a meeting by Ango Sakaguchi at a ship near Yokohama Bay. As part of their deal in exchange for the mafia's services to handle the European guerilla organization Mimic, Taneda issues Mori a skilled business permit to recognize the illicit affairs of the mafia to be legal thereafer.

Decay of Angels Arc
At the onset of the terrorism of the Decay of Angels, Taneda issues Ango with orders to kill the infamous murder association rather than arrest them. Though Ango is initially reluctant with his rash decision, Taneda explains to him that their duty as part of the Special Division sometimes requires bending the law and even sacrificing good people in the process in order to protect the peace of the country, especially from a terrorist group such as the Decay of Angels.

Later, while Ranpo Edogawa was searching for a lead on the Decay of Angels, he finds Taneda injured and bleeding out in a building. Taneda has been attacked by one of the three unknown members from the Decay of Angels, who has the ability to exchange the information they most wish to know for the information their enemy wishes to know the most. Consequently, the Decay of Angels members stole a page from the Book in exchange for information on what their goal is. In the aftermath, Taneda is hospitalized and is hinted to undergo operation, expected to regain consciousness within 40 hours depending on its success.

Appearances
Main= {{Appearance
 * Chapters =

Cannibalism Arc

 * Chapter 50 - Mutual Destruction, Part 4 (cameo)

Decay of Angels Arc

 * Chapter 58 - Sunday Tragedy, Part 2
 * Chapter 59 - Dogs Hunt Dogs, Part 1
 * Chapter 64 - You and I, Children of Sin
 * Chapter 70 - The Escape, Part 2 (mentioned)
 * Chapter 74 - Skyfall, Part 1 (flashback)
 * Chapter 76 - Skyfall, Part 3 (flashback)
 * Episodes=

Dark Era Arc
}}
 * Episode 16 - Bungo Stray Dogs
 * -|BEAST=

Trivia

 * It is very possible that he was Sōseki Natsume's pupil as well.