The Like a Dragon, aka Yakuza, series has been to nearly every corner of Japan across its run. It started off with Kamurochō in Tokyo, then added Osaka via Sotenbori in the sequel. Yakuza 3 included Okinawa, while Yakuza 5 went further beyond with Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Nagoya as new locales to explore. Even today, the series is finding new places to explore, be it small towns like Onomichi or big cities like Yokohama. With Like a Dragon 8 and Like a Dragon Gaiden on the horizon, the only question left is which new cities should the series visit next?
8 Kyoto
- Credit: Ray in Manila
Japan’s former capital city is famous for its historical, traditional sights like the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine and Kinkaku-ji Temple, aka the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. This is likely why the city has only appeared in the Kenzan and Ishin samurai spin-offs thus far. The latter even featured its famous Kiyomizu-dera Temple as a stage.Even so, it would be interesting to see the modern city turn up. Just as players have seen Kamurochō evolve and change since 2005, they might find it interesting to see how modern Kyoto compares to its past. At the very least, if Kiryu and Ichiban went to the modern-day Kiyomizu-dera, it could provide some cheeky references to the events of Ishin.
7 Edo
- Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art
By contrast, while modern-day Tokyo is well-trodden ground, its past isn’t. Before Tokyo officially became Japan’s capital city, it was the nation’s unofficial capital city. The emperor may have still resided in Kyoto at the time, but the real power behind Japan, the Tokugawa shogunate, was based in Edo. Hence, why the era from 1603 to 1868 was called the Edo Period. It's where Ryōma Sakamoto’s samurai school was located in Ishin.However, players can’t wander around it like they can in Kyoto. An Edo neighborhood that could be explored would be interesting. It would be more than a feudal Kamurochō’s too. Its real-life basis, Kabukichō, didn’t really come about until the modern era. If RGG Studio did make a red-light district for Edo, it would likely be based on Yoshiwara, which for its time made the decadence of Yakuza 0’s Kamurochō’s look like a church meeting.
6 Kobe
- Credit: CogDogBlog
On the surface, Kobe doesn’t seem all that different from nearby Osaka. Both cities are within the Kansai region, and both are known for their chatty, brusque, straight-talking citizens. In other words, it seems like another place for RGG Studio to break out characters like the Obatarian, and for the localization team to break open the Big Book of Redneck Slang. That can be charming in itself, as the Kansai characters are some of the more entertaining ones. Yet, there is wider storytelling potential. Its land was where the Genpei War between the Taira and Minamoto clans took place, providing a setting for a samurai game that precedes Kenzan and Ishin. While the Kobe Incident, where Japanese and Western soldiers got into a skirmish in 1868, could provide ground for a direct sequel to Ishin. Be it modern or historical, Kobe is fertile ground for the seeds of inspiration.
5 Sendai
- Credit: Shukujitsu
The Yakuza games have gone all over Japan, from the far north of Hokkaido to the southern city of Fukuoka, from the middle of the nation to its outermost reaches; however, they haven’t been to the north of Honshu yet. It may be considered a hard area to approach, given its Tōhoku region is now more known for its devastating earthquake and the subsequent tsunami that flooded Fukushima and damaged its nuclear power plant.If RGG Studio didn’t want to touch that topic, they could cover the nearby city of Sendai. It’s the region’s largest city, famed for its greenery and history. The famous Sengoku era figure Date Masamune moved there at the start of the Edo period, gave Sendai its modern name and planned out the construction of its castle grounds. The city center’s roads still follow his old plans today. It could be the basis for a happy ending in the past or a reflective one in the modern day.
4 Hiroshima
- Credit: Voogd075
If Tōhoku is a sore spot for a location, Hiroshima may be more difficult. Today, it’s a bustling metropolis that’s since become the largest city in Western Honshu. It has all the modern features that would make for a good Yakuza game, from red-light districts and game centers to a river to chuck goons into. However, it’s also where the first atomic bomb was dropped in 1945.Its victims are commemorated at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Shukkei-en Garden of Peace, and the A-Bomb Dome. Having Kiryu or Ichiban chucking bicycles or summoning chickens in their vicinity could be seen as disrespectful. Hence, why Yakuza 6 went for its prefectural town of Onomichi instead. If Hiroshima does turn up, it’d likely be via a district well away from its more solemn landmarks.
3 Kagoshima
- Credit: Christophe95
To lighten the mood a touch, the Yakuza games also like to delve into their locale’s culture. Biliken the Missouri charm doll is a popular sight in Osaka via Yakuza 0 and 2, and “basanai” is genuine Okinawan Japanese for “banana.” As such, they may have fun with Kagoshima in the south of Kyushu. Historically, it’s where Saigo Takamori, one of modern Japan’s founders (alongside Ishin’s Katsura Kogoro), was born and had his last stand during the Satsuma Rebellion, which would fit an Ishin sequel. Geographically, the city is known as the “Naples of the East” for its big bay and nearby volcano in Sakurajima, which could provide a literally explosive finale with its ashy eruptions. Then culturally, Kagoshima’s dialect is so different than other Japanese people have trouble understanding it. Given the localizers doubled down on the redneck terms for Fukuoka in Yakuza 5, Kagoshima would give them a reason to make everyone sound like Boomhauer from King of the Hill.
2 Seoul
- Credit: Andrea DeSantis
It’s also tempting to wonder how RGG Studio would do outside its comfort zone by using an international setting. But where would they go? Grand Theft Auto,Saints Row, InFamous and more have done American cities to death. European, African, or South American cities would be more unique, though it’s hard to imagine Yakuza still feeling Like a Dragon outside East Asia. Japanese crime families rarely have territories in Rome, Cape Town, or Rio outside the richest heads’ holiday homes. So, why not head to mainland Asia?The Koreans have had a presence in the series, be it through friendly figures like Kim Won-soon, not-so-friendly foes like the Jingweon faction, or both like Joon-gi Han. Not that it’s always been so flattering. The phonetic Korean performances are also said to be hilariously stilted to native speakers. But there are characters sympathetic to them and other mainlanders like Yakuza 4’s Tanimura. With some tact, Seoul, Busan, or Korea’s other top cities could be a good spot for an interesting story.
1 Hong Kong
- Credit: Momo
The same could be said for China. The country has also been represented by friends and foes, like the residents of Kamurochō’s Little Asia or Ijinchō’s Chinatown. Triads have clashed with the yakuza, and immigrants have aided and hindered Kiryu, Majima, and co at different points across the series. While their depictions haven’t been as risky as, say, Yakuza 2’s secret Korean sleeper agents, they still could be better.Particularly as the Japanese cast suffer from the same phonetic issues in Chinese as they do in Korean. Still, with due care and attention, taking Kiryu or Ichiban & his gang into a port city like Hong Kong or Shanghai could be interesting. It’s probably more likely than Shenmue 4 at this rate.Like a Dragon: Ishin! is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.