Money is one of the key currencies in Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and you’ll be spending a lot of it during the course of the game. From equipment crafting to buying items, eating at restaurants, and even playing minigames, every activity in the game requires money. Fortunately for you, there are numerous ways to earn money in the game. Some are simple, while others are a bit complicated. But fret not, as we will be breaking things down for you in this guide. Let’s begin!
How to farm money quickly in Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Fishing
Fishing is a safer but not the most efficient way to earn money. It becomes available in Chapter 2. You start with a basic fishing rod and can catch fish even without bait, but it’s recommended to use bait to catch rare fish.
Visit Ichikura’s Shop in Fushimi to purchase bait and quality bait, or unlock Rakunai and find the Bait Monger to buy special bait and top-grade bait.
There are four fishing spots in the game: near the Teradaya Inn south of Fushimi, Kamo River, and two spots that can be accessed by talking to the fisherman on the boat south of Fushimi.
Fish size depends on the location, and you can upgrade your equipment to catch better fish. You can catch as many fish as you want as long as you have enough inventory space.
To sell your fish, go to the commercial district in the center of Fushimi.
Another Life (Peddlar)
The side quest “Another Life” becomes available in Chapter 4, where you’ll assist Haruka to repay her debt and earn a second home. It is a farming simulation that offers various ways to earn Ryo, but the most profitable one is completing orders ranging from simple vegetables to cooked dishes.
You can sell them to shops or complete individual orders by interacting with the furniture near the resting point. Initially, farming yields less money, but by upgrading the farm and your abilities, you can increase the overall yield and income. You can upgrade various parameters to protect your crops, all of which are worth getting and will pay huge dividends in the long run. Check out the list of upgrades and their costs below.
1. Farm Expansion
| Level | Virtue Cost |
|---|---|
| Farm Expansion 1 | 500 |
| Farm Expansion 2 | 1,500 |
| Farm Expansion 3 | 4,000 |
| Farm Expansion (last level) | 10,000 |
2. Farm Level
| Level | Virtue Cost |
|---|---|
| Farm Level 2 | 1,500 |
| Farm Level 3 | 4,000 |
| Farm Level 4 | 8,000 |
| Farm Level 5 | 12,000 |
3. Scarecrow Level
| Level | Virtue Cost |
|---|---|
| Scarecrow Level 1 | 1,000 |
| Scarecrow Level 2 | 2,000 |
| Scarecrow Level 3 | 4,000 |
| Scarecrow Level 4 | 6,000 |
| Scarecrow Level (last level) | 10,000 |
4. Crops
| Crop Name | Space Needed | Speed of Growth | Expected yield per batch | Virtue cost to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daikon | 2×2 | Fast | 2 | – |
| Cucumber | 2×3 | Fast | 6 | – |
| Potato | 1×1 | Fast | 1 | – |
| Carrot | 1×2 | Fast | 2 | – |
| Spinach | 1×2 | Fast | 2 | – |
| Sweet Potatoes | 1×4 | Fast | 4 | 100 |
| Green Onions | 1×5 | Normal | 5 | 100 |
| Ginger | 1×3 | Normal | 3 | 150 |
| Onions | 1×3 | Normal | 3 | 150 |
| Eggplant | 2×4 | Normal | 8 | 200 |
| Turnips | 1×1 | Normal | 1 | 200 |
| Brad Beans | 2×4 | Fast | 8 | 250 |
| Burdock Root | 1×2 | Normal | 2 | 250 |
| Hot Peppers | 3×3 | Normal | 9 | 300 |
| Garlic | 4×4 | Normal | 16 | 400 |
| Bok Choy | 1×3 | Slow | 3 | 500 |
| Pumpkins | 2×2 | Slow | 4 | 600 |
| Tomatoes | 3×5 | Slow | 15 | 1,000 |
| Cabbage | 1×4 | Slow | 4 | 1,500 |
| Strawberries | 2×2 | Slow | 4 | 1,500 |
| Taro | 1×5 | Slow | 5 | 3,000 |
| Ginseng | 1×1 | Slow | 1 | 10,000 |
A typical order rotation from beginning to end:
| Crop | No. of Items per order |
|---|---|
| Any | 5 or 10 |
| Daikon | x5 or x10 |
| Carrot | x5 or x10 |
| Potato | x5 or x10 |
| Spinach | x5 or x10 |
| Cucumber | x5 or x10 |
| Carrot | x10 |
| Sweet Potato | x5 |
| Green Onion | x10 |
| Eggplant | x15 |
| Onion | x5 |
| Turnip | x5 |
| Broad Bean | x10 |
| Broad Bean | x10 |
| Burdock Root | x5 |
| Ginger | x10 |
| Pumpkin | x5 |
| Bok Choy | x5 |
| Hot Pepper | x5 |
| Garlic | x5 |
| 2 Types of Melon (Cucumber & Pumpkin) | x1 & x1 |
| Cabbage | x4 |
| Tomato | x4 |
| Taro | x4 |
| Strawberry | x4 |
| 3 Types of Potato (Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato & Taro) | x1, x1 & x1 |
| Ginseng | x1 |
Use fertilizer to increase the yield of your crops, which can be purchased from pawn shops in Kyo.
Start by planting fast-growing vegetables and keep a stockpile of them for cooking and completing orders.
Divide your farm into two sections: one for fast-growing vegetables and the other for slower-growing ones.
When going out on quests, plant slow-growing vegetables to avoid affecting your farming efficiency.
Get into Fights
Brawls with thugs and enemies can earn you decent money.
Enemies drop even more money per encounter as they get stronger.
Battle Dispatches
The battle hub becomes available after joining the Shinsengumi.
Enter battle dungeons from there and earn money and equipment.
The bandit cave has easy missions that give good rewards to early- to mid- game players.
Final mission gives 20 Ryo per clearing.
Virtue Vendor (late game strategy)
Max out the virtue vendor and visit the NPC.
Buy platinum plates in exchange for virtue and sell them for a decent amount of money.
Not a reliable way to make money, as the vendor also has other items that might come in handy.