Yakuza – A Deep Dive (A Decade of Thoughts)

Note: In some areas, I included links for some material references during research. You can find them inline throughout the blog post (as relevant).

Note 2: There are going to be some spoilers in this. If you have not played them, then consider this an advanced warning for spoilers.

I’ve been playing the Yakuza game series since it first released in 2005. So going on a decade now. I decided to sit down and do a more complex and detailed post about my thoughts regarding the Yakuza franchise as a whole (and related franchises).

Over the years, I’ve played all the games as they came out, and then recently I did a full playthrough again from beginning to end. The games I played in the full playthrough are listed below. To give you an idea of the depth of understanding I have of the storyline and characters.

Yakuza 0
Yakuza Kiwami 1
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza Remastered 3
Yakuza Remastered 4
Yakuza Remastered 5
Yakuza 6 – Song Of Life
Judgement
Lost Judgement
Yakuza – Like A Dragon
Like A Dragon – Ishin
Like A Dragon Gaiden – The Man Who Erased His Name
Like A Dragon – Infinite Wealth
Like A Dragon – Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii

I played them all, in order, and also did all the DLC and side content. I’ve always watched television shows attached to the same universe (which were retellings/reimaginings of some of the original games). Alongside all of this, I have done deep research into the real Yakuza of Japan. Their history, cultures, and how relevant they are to the world of the game (What the game got right, and what was fiction). I also did a deep dive into all the characters and the fictional city of Kamurocho. I’ve had a lot of fun with the game series, world, and lore behind it. Some of the characters in these games are my favorite across all games.

Now that I’ve just finished the Pirate Yakuza game, the last of the series, I’m writing this post to vent all my thoughts and opinions on Yakuza overall, which I’ve had a decade to cultivate.

Why Play Them in This Order (Spoiler‑Free)

Below is a quick, spoiler‑free rationale for playing each entry in the release/chronological order listed above:

Yakuza 0 – Prequel set in 1988 that frames Kiryu & Majima’s origins and core themes.
Yakuza Kiwami 1 – Remake of the original 2005 game; directly pays off threads established in 0.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 – Expands Tojo Clan politics and emotional arcs from Kiwami 1.
Yakuza 3 Remastered – Shifts the setting to Okinawa and explores consequences of 1–2; context deepens its father‑figure themes.
Yakuza 4 Remastered – Introduces multiple protagonists whose stories hinge on Kiryu’s legacy; richer after 0–3.
Yakuza 5 Remastered – Multi‑city climax that resolves running subplots from 0–4.
Yakuza 6: Song of Life – Intended as Kiryu’s curtain call; its emotional weight relies on having lived his whole journey.
Judgement – Stand‑alone legal thriller in Kamurocho; Easter eggs reward series veterans without spoiling Kiryu’s finale.
Lost Judgement – Direct sequel that references Judgement and late‑Kiryu‑era events; best played right after Judgement.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon – Soft reboot starring Ichiban; inherits a world shaped by 0–6 and nods to past lore.
Like a Dragon: Ishin – Historical spin‑off with series actors; character parallels resonate once you know the main cast.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name – Bridges Kiryu’s life between 6 and Infinite Wealth; spoilers for both.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – Direct sequel to Ichiban’s debut and Gaiden; stakes assume you’ve seen both.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii – Celebratory epilogue that references virtually every prior game—perfect finale.

Playing them in this order guarantees you get the entire scope of the character arcs for all the major characters and understand all the minor references. Some of the side quests even have this ongoing theme between all the games that run together for people who play them all.

Upcoming Games (After April 2025)

Below are the projects currently rumored or confirmed to be in the pipeline. Details are early, so treat everything as tentative.

Yakuza Wars (working title, trademark filed July 26 2024) – Sega registered this name in Japan; no platforms or release window yet, but fans expect either a strategy‑style spin‑off or the next mainline beat‑’em‑up. (gematsu.com)
Next mainline Like a Dragon entry (TBA) – RGG Studio stated in an August 28 2024 livestream that the “next game” would be unveiled during its September 20 2024 RGG Summit, hinting at a larger release that could land in 2026 or later. No official title or story beats yet. (ign.com)
Judgment 3 (unannounced) – Community discussions and scheduling patterns suggest a sequel could fill RGG’s 2026 “big game” slot, continuing Yagami’s detective saga, but nothing is confirmed. (reddit.com)

So there’s a lot to look forward to. I am glad to be caught up with the series because when I started this massive playthrough, I had no idea I was looking at close to 100+ hours per game. Some more, some less, but that’s the average. Huge series with a ton of content.

Real‑Life Yakuza vs. Video‑Game Yakuza — Key Differences

Membership & Reach

Real world: Fewer than 10 k full members and 9 k quasi‑members as of end‑2024, marking a historic low (asahi.com, japantimes.co.jp)
In‑game: Multi‑family syndicates numbering in the tens of thousands, pulling strings nationwide.

Primary Crimes

Real world: Today: fraud, construction kickbacks, grey‑zone businesses; violence kept discreet to avoid police heat.
In‑game: High‑profile brawls, turf wars, and armed shoot‑outs in public streets every night.

Public Visibility

Real world: Harder to open bank accounts or rent apartments due to anti‑gang laws—visibility is shrinking (asahi.com).
In‑game: Clan offices have neon signs; patriarchs hold press conferences.

Hierarchy

Real world: Still oyabun‑kobun, but many mid‑level bosses moonlight in legit firms; overall structure is fragmenting as groups splinter (asahi.com).
In‑game: Rigid mega‑families (Tojo, Omi) with clear successions and sworn brotherhood ceremonies every game.

Cultural Perception

Real world: Seen as fading remnants of a bygone era—tokuryū cyber crews now out‑earn them (thetimes.co.uk).
In‑game: Portrayed as culturally central, shaping everything from politics to pop culture within the series’ Tokyo.

Where Fiction Meets Fact — Notable Similarities

Yubitsume (finger‑cutting) & full‑body irezumi tattoos: Both exist in real life but are far rarer today; the games preserve them for dramatic weight.
Ninkyō‑dō code of honor: The in‑game “help the weak, punish the wicked” ethos riffs on the real yakuza ideal of ninkyō, though reality is messier.
Front businesses: Host/hostess clubs, construction firms, and entertainment agencies are common laundering fronts on both sides of the screen.
Protection rackets & community ties: Small bars in Kabukichō historically paid “protection” money; the series turns that into side quests where Kiryu negotiates peace.
Sakazuki oath ceremonies: The sake‑sharing ritual that binds oyabun and kobun exists in reality—although usually private—while the games dramatize it with lavish cutscenes.
Charitable outreach: Real groups have funded disaster relief and neighborhood festivals to earn goodwill; several sub‑stories depict patriarchs donating to orphanages, rebuilding shrines, or sponsoring community events.
Police & legal crackdowns: Anti‑bōryokudan laws now bar gang members from bank loans and mobile contracts; games mirror this pressure with Tojo Clan asset seizures and politicians passing anti‑gang bills.

Kamurocho in Real Life

Kamurocho is a 1:1 love‑letter to Kabukichō, Tokyo’s neon‑soaked red‑light district in Shinjuku:

Street Grid & Landmarks: The Showa‑era batting center, Don Quijote megastore, narrow “Golden Gai” bar alleys, and even the gate to Shinjuku’s Kabukichō are faithfully mirrored. (japansubculture.com, soranews24.com)
Atmosphere: While Kabukichō has its share of shady touts and host clubs, daytime crime is minimal; most visitors describe it as lively but safe—unlike the constant gang skirmishes Kiryu survives nightly.
Yakuza Presence: Real gangs once dominated Kabukichō, but heavy policing and redevelopment (like the 2014 “Hotel Gracery Godzilla” project) have pushed them underground; the games freeze the locale in its more lawless late‑90s vibe.
Tour Tips: Fans can walk the main drag (Kabukichō Ichibangai) and spot photo‑op corners used in cutscenes—just remember public fighting minigames are strictly 2D pixels only.

Next, I want to dig into what I love about the story, as well as some of the characters’ deeper dynamics.

Kiryu — The Dragon of Dojima

Kazuma Kiryu’s arc is the backbone of the franchise: an ex‑yakuza who clings to an old‑school code of honor in a world that keeps evolving without him. Across the mainline saga he embodies resilience, stoicism, and unyielding loyalty, yet continually longs for a peaceful civilian life. His reputation as a legendary fighter masks a quieter narrative about self‑sacrifice, chosen family, and finding purpose beyond violence.

Kiryu & His Daughter Haruka

Haruka Sawamura is Kiryu’s moral compass and emotional anchor. Their adoptive father‑daughter bond puts a human face on Kiryu’s choices: every punch he throws is weighed against the example he sets for her. Their relationship threads through multiple titles—highlighting themes of found family, redemption, and the cost of protecting loved ones. Even when they spend long stretches apart, each reunion underscores how both characters have grown and how unwavering their bond remains.

I’ll mention here that this father‑daughter thread is the piece I cherish most—yet it also hurts the most. Kiryu endures a conveyor‑belt of sacrifices: prison time on behalf of Nishiki, exile to Okinawa, relinquishing the Tojo chair twice, and even staging his own death more than once just to shield Haruka and the Morning Glory kids from the fallout of his past.

Every time he thinks he has finally secured a quiet life, the underworld drags him back, and each return costs him another chunk of normalcy. By Song of Life he is prepared to erase himself entirely so Haruka and baby Haruto can live unburdened; by Gaiden and Infinite Wealth he is a gray‑haired legend whose body is literally failing him—dialysis tubes, sudden nosebleeds, and the ever‑present specter of mortality—yet he is still throwing punches in the shadows while the world moves on.

So when I say he went through so much, I mean decades of forfeited birthdays, missed milestones, and silent vigils outside hospital rooms—moments any other dad would treasure. For all his heroism, Kiryu ends up an old man staring into a twilight he never had time to savor. It’s poetically tragic, but it also makes me genuinely upset that the Dragon of Dojima—of all people—never got to live the ordinary happiness he fought so hard to protect.

I remember at the beginning, some of the earlier games.. you’re walking around the city holding hands with his daughter and you two just spend time in the city doing all types of stuff together. I wish his entire storyline could have gone in another direction. But unfortunately we don’t always get what we want. But for what it is, Kiryu has an amazing story throughout. One of my favorite characters in ANY game.

Majima — The Mad Dog of Shimano

Goro Majima is Kiryu’s chaotic mirror image: unpredictable yet fiercely principled beneath the theatrics. His journey from a restrained fixer in Yakuza 0 to the eyepatch‑wearing wild card we know today explores survival, trauma, and self‑reinvention. Majima steals every scene because beneath the manic energy lies a tactical genius and a heartfelt devotion to those he considers family—especially Kiryu.

Other Legends of Kamurocho & Beyond

Taiga Saejima — A former Tojo Clan enforcer whose 1985 hit‑job turned mythic; his storyline revolves around brotherhood, penitence, and carving out a future after decades lost behind bars.
Shun Akiyama — The “Lifeline of Kamurocho,” a charismatic moneylender whose generosity stems from a personal brush with rock‑bottom after the 2005 Millennium Tower bombing.
Masayoshi Tanimura / Detective Yagami / other allies — Each brings a unique moral lens to Kamurocho’s corruption, whether through law enforcement, private investigation, or streetwise philosophy.

Each of these legends enriches the franchise’s tapestry, offering fresh perspectives on what honor—and survival—look like in modern Japan. Together, they transform Kamurocho from a static backdrop into a living ecosystem of intersecting destinies.

There’s so much more I want to say… but I would be typing forever. I love the series. I love all the characters, experiences, and memories these games gave me. I wish Kiryu had had what he wanted a long time ago without all the fake deaths.