After meeting Jake and fueling up on donuts and coffee, we make the short trek down the bustling streets. The Yakuza’s Rise And Decline The Yakuza’s Rise And Declineĭespite our destination, our journey begins rather innocently at a local Krispy Kreme. This city’s bright lights can blind visitors to its dark past. A good number of those crimes occurred within Kabukichō’s alleys. In the real world, that includes, among other things, murder, human trafficking, and various forms of extortion. Though the games don’t shy away from that violent reputation, the semi-heroic portrayals of characters Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga, along with the games’ trademark silliness, make it easy to forget that the yakuza are objectively the bad guys, responsible for a number of horrific deeds. It's also the inspiration for Kamurochō, the famous open world from the Yakuza series (now globally rebranded as Like A Dragon). Kabukichō has a notorious, bloodstained history due to its long-standing role as host to yakuza and other gangs. But as I imagine its visitors enjoying a fun day swinging for the fences, author Jake Adelstein pops my thought bubble by telling me that the most horrific gang violence he ever witnessed unfolded on the corner we stand on: someone cracking another person’s skull open with a baseball bat.

A comparatively innocent landmark grabs my attention: a batting center. I futilely try to circulate air in my sweat-stained shirt at an intersection surrounded by questionable bars and seedy nightclubs. It’s an uncomfortably humid night in the bustling Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, Japan.

Game informer diablo 4