JAV Stars in the Yakuza: Like a Dragon Series

The Yakuza video game series has become one of the most beloved open world games coming out of Japan in recent history. The series comes from long time video game maker Sega is also known as Ryū ga Gotoku (Like a Dragon) and is also it’s new name in the west. The series is known for many things; it’s brawler beat ‘em up gameplay, high drama, low humor, a faithful recreations of real life locations, and minigames galore. I’ve come late to the Yakuza series only first playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon. But longtime fans of both the series and JAV should know why we are talking about it today; JAV star cameos!

The Yakuza series has long cameoed JAV actresses in roles both big and small. From simple photo appearances to fully fledged 3D models and voice acted. The series doesn’t only feature JAV stars but mainstream actresses, gravure models, music idols, and entertainers too. Kiwami 2 has a photo shoot minigame with a pair of gravure models. For now we’ll dive into the most notable JAV cameos in the Yakuza series and what could lie ahead.

(A full list of AV Actress Appearances via Reddit plus film/TV actresses and models)

Yakuza 0

The prequel to the first game Yakuza 0 features loads and loads of JAV stars. Minigames, side characters, video easter eggs. They are all over even appearing as female NPC’s in the game. Marina Shiraishi and Kotomi Asakura appear as small characters. But their biggest role in the game is in the Hostess Management Minigame. The hostess management is seen by many as the best mini game in the series and that is even if you take away the JAV cameos.

Yakuza 0 features Ai Uehara, Saki Hatsumi, Hibiki Otsuki, Chika Arimura, and Mana Sakura. All Platinum level hostesses and valued club members. Getting them and completing their training also unlocks a side mission for each character. The girls also voice their characters. The JAV minigame fun doesn’t stop there, they also appear in the Telephone Club minigame. Which has side stories for Haruki Sato, Ayaka Tomoda, Riku Minato too. You can even take out certain girls for dates while playing other minigames. One side quest features Ayu Sakurai as a Dominatrix.

But the real meat of the JAV treasure trove comes in the form of the Gandhara Video Rental Store. Here you can rent out little erotic gravure videos featuring a staggering amount of JAV actresses. Here are all the girls you can rent and watch. That’s right you can rent a video to watch in a store on an old CRT looking TV. Mind you this takes place in the late 80’s. If you like Yakuza and JAV then Yakuza 0 is easily the best choice out of all of them.

Yakuza Kiwami 2

Yakuza Kiwami 2 a remake of the second game features a return of JAV stars in the Hostess Minigame this time called the Cabaret Club Grand Prix. Featuring an all star cast of girls with Aika, Kana Momonogi, Kiara Asuka, Shoko Takahashi, Yua Mikami. All modeled after them and voiced by each actress too. Really great picks from them at the time, all great actresses some at their prime and some upcoming stars.

Yakuza 3 Remastered

The hostess minigame continues this time with a smaller JAV presence. I recognize only Kana Momonogi and Yui Hatano. Two returning faces. This time there is a bigger focus in recruiting hostesses by developing a relationship with them.

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Yakuza 6 had a live chatting minigame featuring Anri Okita and Yua Mikami. Called DMM LiveChat (Fanza’s old name) you would talk to the girls and try to keep the conversation going. The girls talk, tease you, and even strip a little. Players that finish the sub story mission are treated with a little gravure model shoot. Not very explicit but a fun little teaser. It is also very funny to see the big and burly Kiryu hunched over a computer geeking out over some pretty girls.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Sadly in the last mainline Yakuza game there was a much smaller role for JAV stars. Just a photo cameo in a soapland called Otohime Land as portraits on a wall. They have actresses old and new. Featuring girls like Iori Kogawa, AIKA, Suzu Honjo, Tina Nanami, Mikako Abe, Ichika Nagano, Mahiro Tadai, and Meru Ishihara to name just a few. A far cry from the larger roles they played before. I’ll forgive them because the business minigame was so addictive (I played it all in one go as soon as it was unlocked). It does however feature a storyline about a moral group opposing soap lands/sex workers at large. A surprising and heartwarming pro-sex work storyline in the latest main line game. The game as a whole tries to highlight the people on the margins of society. So it’s on brand with the game’s theme and subjects.

Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Some girls have already teased their appearance on the game. So look forward to Yuna Ogura, Kana Momonogi, and Yui Hatano popping up in the new game as courtesans. It doesn’t seem they will have as a big a role as they have in past games. We’ll see once the game comes out in the wild and update you then if so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDnnaTO549U

(Here they are promoting the game ahead of its release)

Like a Dragon: Ishin Preview

With their upcoming game coming out lets preview Like a Dragon: Ishin and what you can expect from it. The newest release in the series. Like a Dragon: Ishin is a remake of the 2014 Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin. Never before released and localized for international audiences. The game will be available on platforms such as PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Like a Dragon: Ishin takes place during the Bakumatsu near the end of the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo Period. This is a historical period game that leaves the modern day setting that has become synonymous for the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. Trading it’s concrete roads and streets lights for dirt roads, lanterns, and traditional style buildings galore. The game moves from Kamurocho aka Kabukichō to Kyo the stand in (and past name) for modern day Kyoto.

Players take the role of Sakamoto Ryōma an infamous samurai in history. A revenge story about him searching for revenge against a mysterious killer who practices a unique marital art style. He goes undercover with the Shinsengumi to find said killer. Sakamoto is modeled/played by the series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. In face many older characters from the series will be taking on historical roles in the game. Fan favorite Goro Majima will be playing Shinsengumi Captain Okita Soji for example. Fans of series should have fun spotting older characters in new roles. The game adds on from it’s brawler gameplay with new fighting styles using swords, guns, or both. Less use of items and objects around unlike the main series. So don’t expect to smash bicycles into enemies. The game also features many minigames and side quests which has become so key for the series. The game has fishing, chicken racing, mahjong, karaoke, traditional Japanese dancing, farming, Udon noodle making to name some.

Remu Suzumori and Ai Sayama were finalists as hostesses

Like a Dragon 8

For the upcoming Like a Dragon 8, who knows if the JAV connection continues. I for one hopes it does and if it does I have some ideas of who they should feature. For more recent picks they could go with Saika Kawakita and Ichika Matsumoto. Saika is the hot topic of the year while Ichika has been the top girl for the last couple of years. These girls are red hot and right at the top of the JAV world. It makes sense to feature them as the AV representatives. Going back a bit they could invite other big names from the recent past like Eimi Fukada, Yuu Shinoda, and even Rara Anzai if she were still active. These girls were the big names in JAV that seemed to miss their chance to be featured in a Like a Dragon mainline game.

(Gamers aren't ready for Ichika)

They could also try to highlight newer talent like Hana Shirato or Karen Yuzuriha. The series has partnered with and featured quite a bit of SOD talent in the past. So they could go with their top girls right now in Suzu Honjo and Yuna Ogura or go with their rising stars in girls like Minamo, Rei Kamiki, and of course Yotsuha Kominato. The former pop star would be nice celebrity cameo for them.

(Yotsuha)

That’s most of the cameos I could find in the Yakuza series. Chime in below if you know of anymore and who you want to see in the future of the Yakuza Like a Dragon series.