Nishikiyama Family

From sworn brothers to mortal enemies: the tragic rise and fall of Akira Nishikiyama.

The Nishikiyama Family is a subsidiary organization established within the Tojo Clan by Akira Nishikiyama, the sworn brother of series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. Originally childhood friends who grew up together at Shintaro Kazama's Sunflower Orphanage, their bond fractured when Nishikiyama murdered their boss, Sohei Dojima, after Dojima attempted to assault Yumi Sawamura. While Kiryu took the blame and served ten years in prison, Nishikiyama rose through the ranks to form his own family after Kazama's imprisonment, though there is no clear evidence of Kazama giving explicit blessing for the family's formation. This new entity became the focal point of an internal power struggle for Tojo Clan leadership shortly after Kiryu's release, transforming the two men from best friends into mortal enemies.

Quick Facts

Affiliation: Tojo Clan

Lore & Background

The narrative foundation of the Nishikiyama Family is rooted in betrayal and the corrosive effects of envy. In 1995, after Kiryu took the fall for Dojima's murder to allow Nishikiyama time with his terminally ill sister, Nishikiyama eventually formed his own faction after Kazama's imprisonment, though there is no clear evidence of Kazama giving explicit blessing for the family's formation. The family's history is deeply tied to the original Yakuza game, where it serves as the vehicle for Nishikiyama's ambition to seize control of the Tojo Clan and claim ten billion yen.

His motivation was driven by jealousy toward Kiryu, whom he viewed as stronger and more popular, and a desire to surpass him completely. The family's arc is further explored in Yakuza Kiwami, which reveals how Nishikiyama snapped under the stress of his sister's illness and the disrespect from subordinates, leading him, after he learns that Yuko has died, to stab his disrespectful family captain Matsushige, transforming into a cold, calculating mafioso determined to destroy the legend of the 'Dragon of Dojima'.

Reader's Guide

To understand the Nishikiyama Family, one must look at the specific turning points that defined its existence. The family's formation was a direct result of Akira Nishikiyama's decision to betray Shintaro Kazama after Kiryu went to prison. Key events include the murder of Sohei Dojima in 1995, the subsequent ten-year imprisonment of Kiryu, and the internal power struggle that erupted upon his return. In Yakuza Kiwami, players can experience the 'Rise' of this family through flashback cutscenes running parallel to Kiryu's story, witnessing Nishikiyama's descent from a reluctant leader into a ruthless boss.

The family also features prominently in the final battle of the original game, where Reina is revealed as a mole who betrayed Kiryu out of love for Nishikiyama before being killed by his own hitmen. Ultimately, the family dissolves with Nishikiyama's death after he sacrifices himself to kill Jingu.

Did You Know?

Nishikiyama's back tattoo features a golden koi depicted in the nukibori style (no background), contrary to claims that it has a background like water or waves.
In Yakuza Kiwami, voice actor Kazuhiro Nakaya found Nishikiyama's script so emotionally difficult that he felt unable to read any scripts for a while after finishing it.
The character appears as a boss in the promotional freeware game Streets of Kamurocho, released for Sega's 60th anniversary in October 2020, but the final boss is a giant Majima.