True Stories of a Cyber Yakuza: Welcome to Kamurocho!

Welcome to another True Story of a Cyber Yakuza! This is part of a continuing series diving into and dissecting Sega's Yakuza video game series. Check back regularly to follow my progress through the Yakuza games so that I can finally play Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Thinking about visiting Kamurocho soon? If you really want to experience one of Tokyo's finest red-light districts, you must live like a local! Let's have a look at a day in the life of a person who grew up in Kamurocho, so you can get all the tips on the best places the locals frequent in the city.

Kazuma Kiryu is still Kamurocho's resident badass despite not currently living in the city. For the last several years, Kiryu has been running Morning Glory orphanage in Okinawa. He frequently finds himself returning to Kamurocho on business and is fortunate to always be welcome to stay at New Serena Bar in the southwest part of town. While most travelers stay in Hotel District to the north, you may be able to find a room to rent nearby.

Today, Kiryu has a rare break from helping the Tojo Clan maintain their standing in the local crime scene. Even on his day off, Kiryu is no slouch. He has a jam-packed day planned out and will need an early start to fit everything in.

Leaving from Serena, Kiryu stops by the local Poppo for a quick breakfast. On a slower day, many might prefer Cafe Alps around the corner on Nakamichi Street. However, Americans will be especially delighted to know Japanese convenience stores offer a wide range of delicious options for eating on the go.

Poppo - Too Much Good Stuff!
He orders a few rice balls then heads over to the Children's Park on West Shichifuku Street to sit down and enjoy his food. Even though Kamurocho is a bustling part of the city, you'll still find a couple of parks tucked into the neighborhoods.

Once he is done wolfing down his breakfast, he goes to the batting cages in Hotel District for a bit of vigorous exercise. You might be able to win some prizes, but good luck beating Kiryu's high scores!

After finishing up at the batting cages, Kiryu heads over to Kotobuki Drugs on Tahei Boulevard to restock. You'll be able to find everything you need, just be sure to bring your prescriptions! Kiryu is stocking up on Staminans, which he'll need to keep up his pace today.

Next, a stroll over to the Sega arcade on Nakamichi Street for a bit of leisure. Some of Sega's best titles can be found here along with some nice swag in the UFO Catchers. Fans of gaming will find a nice selection of rotating arcade cabinets!

Kiryu has a craving for a nice burger and fries, so he stops in Smile Burger for a nice, filling lunch. There are several more options available for hungry folks while traveling along Nakamichi Street.

Now that he has a full stomach, Kiryu heads over to West Park to compete in a tournament at the underground coliseum. The coliseum is located in the northeast part of town in West Park. Being a master in several fighting styles, Kiryu makes quick work of his oppenents before getting on with his night. Kiryu might make is look easy, but this is no place for amateurs!

West Park used to be taken over by the homeless, but they have been displaced for a new luxury high-rise, Kamurocho Hills

Enter tournaments at your own risk!
Wanting something fancy for dinner, Kiryu heads to Kanrai Korean BBQ on East Shichifuku Street for some fine dining. This place books up quick, so make sure to call ahead for a reservation and dress up nicely for the meal!

While you ladies will undoubtedly want to head to Stardust to be entertained by the hosts, the guys will find they have a few options for meeting hostesses. Kiryu's current favorite hostess works at Club Shine on Pink Street, so he heads there for some much needed pampering after his victory in the coliseum.

As the night goes on, Kiryu sets out to clean house yet again, this time in one of Asia's well-known pastimes, Mahjong. The Orchid Palace Mahjong parlor in Nakamichi Alley is where the locals go to play. This isn't the solitaire-style game westerners are familiar with. Be sure you spend some time at the low-skill tables or you'll find yourself broke in no time. Since gambling is illegal in Japan, gambling parlours give prizes which most people then sell off at conveniently located pawn shops. Kiryu offloads his goods for cash so he can turn his winnings into cold, hard cash.

It's getting late, but Kamurocho never sleeps. Not being one to turn in early, Kiryu heads over to the Champion District to have some drinks at Shellac. As you see, Shellac is kind of cozy. If you're looking for a little more excitement, you might want to visit Earth Angel, also in Champion District. Just don't drink too much. Kamurocho's bartenders are strict about customer conduct and won't hesitate to cut you off!

Having had his fill in more ways than one, Kiryu stumbles back to Serena to have one last drink with friends before sleeping off his adventurous day.

As you can see, there's so much to do in Kamurocho that even when you're done hitting all the must-see locations around Tokyo, you'll never run out of things to do. We hope to see you soon in Tokyo's most vibrant red-light district! Who knows, you may even wind up bumping into Kiryu and me at Shellac.

Join us next time for a post-mortem review on Yakuza 4.

True Stories of a Cyber Yakuza: My Journey Begins

 Welcome! This will be the first of a series on the popular video game series Yakuza. I hope to write quite a few entries diving into and dissecting this awesome series as I continue my journey to Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

 It started on a whim. In November 2020, I had had enough of gaming on my Nintendo Switch and wanted to feel the warm glow of a PlayStation. We won't get into the details of what led to the Switch becoming my primary console or exactly how long it was my primary console. Just know, PlayStation 5 was a week away from launch, I knew I wouldn't get one, and I needed a PlayStation now. I shopped around online and eventually set off to pick up a new PlayStation 4 along with a copy of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Remake. I had fun with my nostalgia for about a week before I felt the need for something more. A new game. Not just a game that was developed specifically for the PS4, but also a game that had been developed/released recently so that it would show off the strengths of my shiny new console.

 I popped into the PlayStation Store to begin my search, but it took no time at all. Right there at the top was the newly released Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Now, Yakuza is a series I've long been acquainted with in passing. I had never played any of the games or even seen them in action, but I was curious about the series and would read about them occassionally when they appeared in popular video gaming blogs. Until this moment, my impression of what the games were was largely what I had read since the first release in 2005, "GTA: Japan." While this did intrigue me, I always drew parallels to Saints Row, which I tried once, but didn't really like. While I usually try to play a series from the beginning, I really wanted to play a new game, so I read around a bit to find out if I could start from Like a Dragon.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon Title Screen
 Turns out, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a bit of an evolution from previous games. It features its own cast of characters and exists more firmly in the RPG genre than its Action Adventure roots. "Awesome!" I thought. $60 well spent. I waited for the download, started the game, got to the end of the opening scenes, and promptly quit the game. Turns out I couldn't do it. I simply wouldn't be able to play this game without playing the other Yakuza games. At first, I felt a bit defeated. I had just spent $60 for a game I wouldn't be playing any time soon. I simply had to shell out for another one if I was going to play Yakuza at all. I headed back to the PlayStation store and found that Yakuza 0 was on sale for $5. I didn't know it then, but my gaming life was about to change for the better!

Yakuza 0 Title Screen
 Yakuza 0 originally released in Japan in March 2015. This game is quite remarkable not only in the fact that it plugged and bridged the long gap between the 5th (December 2012) and 6th (December 2016) games, but because it also launched on PS3 and PS4 at the same time. All this, and it served as a prequel to the original games with promises of remakes to come. Exciting time to be a video game. Exciting time to be my video game.

 Upon firing up the game, my ill-conceived notions of GTA: Japan were immediately thrown out the window. I quickly saw that I was stepping into a well-designed neighborhood, roughly a 5x5 grid filled with neon lights and packed to the brim with things to do. Every time I turned a corner, there were more shops, restaurants, arcades, and night-life clubs. Different games also feature other neighborhoods representing other well-known Japanese regions, each with their own things to do. Aside from the lights and venues, you'll run into all kinds of people in Kamurocho. Some people will try to fight you, others will have side missions (called Substories in the world of Yakuze), but most will just be walking in the never-ending crowds. Seeing how Kamurocho evolves across games is also a real treat. You get to see changes big and small as you progress through the games.

Kamurocho, circa 1988 (Yakuza 0)
 Mostly, you'll live you life as Kazuma Kiryu during your adventures in Kamurocho. Kiryu came up in Kamurocho as an orphan, eventually becoming the 4th Chairman of the Tojo Clan. He quickly retired to attempt to live his own life over the course of the first couple of games. As the stories progress, he usually winds up playing a critical role in preserving the Tojo Clan's standing in the wider Japanese crime network. The game story lines play out very similarly to how I imagine a Japanese crime family drama would be on TV. All the plot and intrigue of coming up in a mafia-like family then all of the calamity of what happens after leaving the life.

Kiryu across the games I have played with Yakuza 0's Kiryu on the left and Kiryu from Yakuza 4 on the right.
 While I can see how the presentation of the game might draw lazy comparisons to GTA, the gameplay is where the differences really come through. You'll be spending much of your time running around the streets of Kamurocho rather than driving. Combat is more akin to the beat em ups of yore than the gunplay you're used to in GTA. There are guns, but they're usually fairly weak compared to other options. Confronting enemies, or more often, being confronted by enemies leads to brawls which you beat everybody up with a series of basic combos and attacks from things you can pick up in the environment. Kiryu's moveset and skills can be upgraded through leveling and Heat Actions add some flare in the form of finishing moves. When I'm not beating people up, I'm spending a lot of time with the various side-activities available. All the regular extracurricular activities are available such as fishing, pool, darts, bowling, and even batting cages. There also several distinctly Japanese activities such as Sega arcades, hostess clubs, Mahjong, and gambling dens with Japanese games.

 I am currently playing Yakuza 4. Having started with Yakuza 0, worked through the Kiwami remakes of Yakuza and Yakuza 2, then played the remaster of Yakuza 3, I have found more and more reason to be impressed with the world of Yakuza. Stories overlap games, with character arcs spanning multiple games. Similar objects, locations, story beats, and combat systems really help make the whole series feel like a single whole. With each entry, I feel I have sunk more deeply into the Yakuza lifestyle of Kamurocho.

Yakuza 4 Title Screen
 I can hardly wait to fire up the next game when I am finished with the last. It is so much fun seeing what changes between entries while also getting a look at where PlayStation games were during each era of development. It has been a long road building up to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, yet I look forward to finishing playing Yakuza 4 so that I can get to 5 and 6 to see where Kiryu's story ends and the next generation begins. I'll keep diving into the world of Yakuza in a series of posts. Next week, we'll tour the streets of Kamurocho and see what has changed across time!