Yakuza 4

Lore & Background

Yakuza 4 takes place one year after the events of Yakuza 3, mostly in Kamurocho, a district resembling Shinjuku's Kabukichō. Three new areas were added: a rooftop area, the back streets (Rojiura), and an underground area (Kamuchika) including sewers, a parking lot, and shopping arcades. The game introduces three new protagonists alongside series mainstay Kazuma Kiryu: Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama, and Taiga Saejima. Each character has a unique fighting style—Kiryu uses karate and boxing, Akiyama favors taekwondo, Saejima favors powerful and slow brawling/grappling attacks using wrestling techniques, and Tanimura employs aikido and jiu jitsu.

Reader's Guide

Yakuza 4 is notable for expanding the series' formula by featuring four playable protagonists, each with their own side missions and fighting styles. The game includes a variety of mini-games such as pachinko, fishing, onsen, massage, table tennis, hanafuda, and karaoke, including duets with NPCs. Each character has a specific side goal: Akiyama can create friendships and run a cabaret club; Saejima trains fighters for tournaments; Tanimura resolves police-radio disputes; and Kiryu faces team encounter battles. The remastered version reintroduced a cabaret challenge that was cut from the overseas version of Yakuza 3. The story involves a complex plot spanning a 1985 assassination, police corruption, and a power struggle between the Tojo Clan and the Ueno Seiwa Clan, culminating in a confrontation on the roof of the Millennium Tower.

Did You Know?

• Hiroki Narimiya originally voiced Masayoshi Tanimura but retired from acting due to allegations of drug use; Toshiki Masuda took over the role.
• The underground area in Kamurocho is called Kamuchika, short for Kamuro Chika.
• Akiyama's side mission 'Create a #1 Hostess!' involves scouting and training girls for his cabaret club.