Zenji has short, dark black hair and black eyes. Due to his poor eyesight, he wears glasses. He typically wears the standard Tōtsuki school uniform, while his cooking attire consists of a standard white chef’s uniform.

Because of his low physical stamina, Zenji often appears worn out and frail after completing strenuous tasks, sometimes even resorting to using a cane to help him walk.

Zenji is highly intelligent and considered one of the most academically gifted students in his class. However, he is also notably weak and easily exhausted due to his low stamina, which often causes others to underestimate him. Zenji openly admits that he lacks both physical strength and exceptional cooking talent compared to many of his classmates. To make up for this, he dedicates himself fully to his academic studies in order to keep pace with the natural geniuses and prodigies around him. His intelligence and sharp memory are his greatest strengths, enabling him to earn a spot as a participant in the Autumn Elections.

Zenji often complains about the Polar Star residents gathering in his room since it is the largest because he prefers to focus on studying. Despite his protests, he usually ends up joining in their activities. Deep down, Zenji cares deeply for his dormmates and shares a particularly close friendship with Shun Ibusaki.

Zenji had been a resident of the Polar Star Dormitory long before Sōma joined. He was one of the many promising students within the Polar Star group and a member of the Miyazato Seminar, a research club renowned for its deep study of classical cooking philosophy and culinary literature. Despite being only a first-year student at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, Zenji served as the ace of the club thanks to his extensive knowledge and sharp intellect. Although his low stamina and frail endurance limited his physical performance, his true potential was known only to Satoshi and Shun before the Autumn Election.