15 Amazing Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About The Yakuza Series

Yakuza Ishin Skipping The West

Of all the Yakuza games, there are three that have the distinction of releasing only in Japan. These are Kurohyō: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō, Yakuza Kenzan and Yakuza Ishin. The latter two are probably requested more due to the acclaimed sword combat and period drama. Interestingly, producer Toshihiro Nagoshi said at one point that he wanted Yakuza Ishin to release in the United States. So why didn’t that happen? It’s because the development team, which isn’t very big, also handles translation and localization. Yakuza 5 wasn’t even planned for release outside Japan because the team chose to focus on Yakuza Ishin instead. There are still no plans for Yakuza Ishin or Kenzan to release in the West, unfortunately.