Story

The game follows the story of Kazuma Kiryu (桐生 一馬 Kiryū Kazuma), a former Yakuza whose release from prison after a ten-year sentence sparks the setup of the game's plot. After his release, he returns to find his girlfriend is missing and the clan he was once a part of (the Tojo Clan) has had ten billion yen (aprox. 84,097,035 USD) stolen from them, which the entire Japanese underworld is now searching for. The game was heavily acclaimed in Japan for being the first game to explore Yakuza culture with such depth and —as it is claimed— authenticity to the nature of Japan's criminal underground.

Characters

Kazuma Kiryu

Voiced by: Darryl Kurrylo

The protagonist of Yakuza, Kazuma was known as "the Dragon of the Dojima Family" because of the dragon tattoo on his back. He was planning on starting his own subsidiary group until he was imprisoned for ten years for the murder of Sohei Dojima. After his release, Kazuma returned to Kamurocho and quickly found himself pulled back into the Yakuza underworld.

Akira Nishiki

Voiced by: Michael Rosenbaum

Along with Yumi,Nishiki grew up in the Sunflower Orphanage with Kazuma. Nishiki was the one actually responsible for the death of Dojima, but reluctantly allowed Kazuma to take the fall for it so he could tend to his ill sister, who died shortly thereafter. When Kazuma returns to Kamurocho, he finds that Nishiki has not only started his own subsidiary group of the Dojima Family, but has changed into a cold, heartless man completely unlike his former self. He has a carp tattooed on his back, much like Kazuma's dragon.

Yumi Sawamura

Voiced by: Eliza Dushku

Yumi grew up with Kazuma and Nishiki, and worked as a hostess at Serena with Reina. She was abducted by Sohei Dojima, and the trauma of the event caused her to lose her memory; shortly after, she checked herself out of the hospital and disappeared.

Haruka

Voiced by: Debi Derryberry

Haruka is a young girl searching for her mother, Mizuki, whom evidence seems to indicate is Yumi's younger sister. Haruka is also somehow connected to the money that went missing before Kazuma's release. A combination of these reasons and pure chance leave Haruka in Kazuma's tentative custody. Before arriving in Kamurocho, she too lived at the Sunflower Orphanage.

Mako Date

Voiced by: Bill Farmer

After Dojima's murder, Detective Date was the only one not fully convinced of Kazuma's guilt. He continued to investigate the case even after Kazuma's incarceration, which earned him an unwanted transfer to the Organized Crime Unit.

Reina

Voiced by: Rachael Leigh Cook

A friend of Kazuma, Reina is the owner of Serena, the bar that acts as a safe house for Kazuma as he attempts to re-establish himself as a force in Kamurocho. She helps look after Haruka.

Sohei Dojima

The honorable but violent head of the of the Dojima Family and the top captain of the Tojo clan of which he is affiliated, Dojima was known for getting his way by any means necessary. His death caused discord among the men of his family, and forced them to choose a new oyabun to follow. Nishiki was responsible for his death but Kazuma took the blame for his death.

Masa Sera

Voiced by: Alan Dale

The third chairman of the Tojo Clan. He headed up all the affiliate families that made up the Tojo Clan. He was regarded as a legend for achieving the position in his 40's and under his leadership the Clan prospered. Akira Nishiki called an emergency meeting of all the captains of the Tojo Clan where he revealed that the 10 billion yen that the Clan had gained over the years had been stolen. Sera went to investigate what had happened to the money only to be assassinated when he found out what happened. The chairmanship was left open as a result, and the top captains; Fuma, Shimano, and Nishiki all vowed for the position.

Shintaro Fuma

Voiced by: Roger L. Jackson

A kind and honourable man, Fuma is a lieutenant of the Dojima Family, captain of the Fuma Family, a Tojo Clan affiliate, and a father-figure to Kazuma and Nishiki. He had provided funding for the Sunflower Orphanage Kazuma, Nishiki, and Yumi grew up in. After Sohei Dojima was assassinated Fuma took over the remains of the Dojima family, thus making the Fuma family the most powerful family in the Tojo Clan. This advantage helped keep the other affiliate captains in check. However five years after the murder a rift was created in the Fuma Family when Nishiki a supposed soldier of the Fuma Family broke away and declared his own family. This caused many of Fumas men to desert to the newly formed Nishiki Family. Fuma was the one that helped inform Kazuma Kiryu about the current state of affairs when he was released from prison. At Masa Seras funeral, Kazuma met up with Fuma but was shot by an assassian. The bullet pierced his left shoulder. The assassain was Nishiki. Shinji Tanaka a soldier of the Nishiki Family took Fuma too a hospital to recover. Shinji would at some point turn Fuma over to Yukio Terada a lieutenant of the Omi Family that owed Fuma alot for things that he had helped him get through. Fuma was kept on Terada's yacht until Kazuma could come. Futo Shimano than attacked the yacht and was defeated by the Fuma Families reinforcements. He was killed while protecting Haruka from a grenade that Shimano had thrown. Shortly before he died, it was revealed that he was the one who assassinated Kazuma's parents and that the Sunflower Orphanage was were Fuma sent the children of the people he assassinated, making them into orphans.Althoug Kazuma forgives Fuma

Futo Shimano

Voiced by: Michael Madsen

Shimano is the head of the Shimano Family, an affiliate of the Tojo Clan. Much like Dojima, he has a reputation for his ruthless, violent nature, and has a brutal grudge against Kazuma for Dojima's death. At Masa Sera's funeral, Shimano had fought with Kazuma after Kazuma was found out in the funeral. After Shinji turned Fuma over to Terada and was kept on the yacht until Kazuma came, the Shimano family attacked the yacht with Shimano leading the attack. After being defeated by Kazuma and Fuma Family reinforcements, Shimano threw a grenade towards Fuma and Haruka shortly before getting shot a few times by Terada which led to his death.He has a tatoo of a tiger on his back

Goro Majima

Voiced by: Mark Hamill

A lieutenant of the Shimano family, Shimano's right-hand man and head of the Majima Family, Majima is an acquaintance of Kazuma with a twisted sense of loyalty. His temper and lack of mercy earned him the nickname "the Madman of the Shimano Family". Because of his friendship with Kazuma he believed himself to be the only one entitled to kill him, and nearly died attempting to protect that right. Majima and Kazuma fight each other twice in the game, the first time in the batting cages (And nearly died) and the second time in the soapland, Shangri-la (It seems that Majima survives after the second battle as he is seen in the trailers for Yakuza 2)

Shinji Tanaka

Voiced by: Daniel Capellaro

Kazuma's "little brother", Shinji looks up to Kazuma and helps him out when he can. He is a high-ranking "soldier" under Nishiki, but his true loyalties lie with Kazuma and Fuma. While many of Kazuma's old friends forgot him when he was in prison, Shinji didn't.

Kage

Voiced by: Dwight Schultz

The mastermind behind a self-sufficient underground world called Purgatory and a district-wide surveillance system, Kage is a notorious professional informant, and can provide any piece of information for a price. He abandoned his family when he went underground, but still watches over them. His son, Takashi, is involved with a girl called Kyoka, who happens to be the daughter of the head of the Atobe Family.

Kazuki

Kazuki is the young owner of Stardust, a popular host club located directly across from Serena. Kind and charismatic, he is indebted to Fuma and helps Kazuma at his request.

Yuya

Yuya is a host at Stardust and Kazuki's right-hand man. He is outspoken, proud, and more than willing to fight for both Kazuki and Stardust. His girlfriend, Miyu, is the main attraction at the Asia strip club. It is revealed that he has a deep hatred for the Yakuza when Yuya mistakes Kazuma for a yakuza before getting beaten by him.

Saya Date

The rebellious daughter of Detective Date, she often goes looking for trouble in the streets of Kamurocho.

Trivia

• Although the game doesn't explicitly say it, much of the game takes place in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward, most noticeably a recreation of Shinjuku's red-light district Kabukichō, which is famous for its organized crime presence. Although the area was recreated as a fictionalized "Kamurocho district", much of Kabukichō's landmarks remain (such as Theater Square, Don Quixote, the red neon sign in the district's entrance, and Seibu Shinjuku Station).

• Japanese coffee brand Boss Coffee is visible in many parts of the game. Boss Coffee has a reputation for having very aggressive marketing. 

• The arcade machines found in Club Sega feature screenshots of Sega's own popular fighting series, Virtua Fighter

Voice cast

English language version

• Darryl Kurrylo — Kazuma Kiryu
• Michael Rosenbaum — Akira Nishiki
• Eliza Dushku — Yumi Sawamura
• Michael Madsen — Futo Shimano
• Rachael Leigh Cook — Reina
• Mark Hamill — Goro Majima
• Alan Dale — Masa Sera
• Dwight Schultz — Kage
• Debi Derryberry — Haruka
• Bill Farmer — Mako Date
• Roger L. Jackson — Shintaro Fuma
• Snazin Smith — Ryu Ghost Dog
• Robin Atkin Downes — Kyohei Jingu
• Daniel Capellaro — Shinji Tanaka
• James Horan — Lau Ka Long
• Nan McNamara — Saya Date