SEGA has recently published a press statement detailing the events that set up Yakuza 6‘s story, along with a handful of images that may seem familiar if you’ve seen the story trailer. It might seem odd to those of us based in the West, but it’s been almost four years since the Japanese release of Yakuza 5, with Yakuza 6 set to release in December of this year. We’ll include a short summary of the descriptive statement, sourced at this 4Gamer article.
On a snowy night in 2012, Haruka Sawamura, performing as an idol and in front of legions of fans, declares that she belongs to the family of Kazuma Kiryu. As a man with a known past, this is a bold move. The two hoped to be able to lead a more peaceful life in the future. But Kazuma had to endure a 3-year prison sentence, and Haruka’s confession and retirement elicited anger from the public and even prompted attacks against Sunshine Orphanage.
Feeling that Sunshine Orphanage would only suffer because of her presence, increasingly lonely without Kazuma, and alongside the harsh public sentiment, Haruka disappears. By the time Kazuma returns, it is too late. Worrying about Haruka and hurt by the inability to handle and predict such an outcome, Kazuma grieves.
He returns to Tokyo in search of clues. After some time without any leads, Detective Makoto Date reveals to him that Haruka got in a traffic accident and was comatose. Kazuma can’t believe the situation…
Kazuma later learns that after retirement, Haruka ventured to Jingaicho in Onomichi, eastern Hiroshima. This place is home to a yakuza faction called the Himei Alliance, beyond the reach of even the Omi Alliance and the Tojo Clan, and full of secrets. So he ventures to Hiroshima with many questions. Why did Haruka come here? Was her accident really just that, or something more sinister? What else has happened in the world while Kazuma was in prison?
Japanese Yakuza fans will learn the truth on December 8th!
An image gallery can be seen below.
All images used in this writeup are credited to this 4Gamer article.