Kazuhiro Nakaya

The Yamazaki family arrives at Akikawa Station and heads into a cicada-filled forest to carry out a mission assigned by Headquarters Chief Tamura. With bug nets in hand, they excitedly begin their search, spotting a praying mantis and later a stag beetle—only to be startled by a sudden “black shadow.” After the scare, they finally find a rhinoceros beetle and celebrate like kids again. Having achieved their real goal of bonding, they spend the rest of the day playing in the river and enjoying a barbecue. Once fully relaxed, the general producer takes on the role of MC, and the group sets aside their characters to enjoy a “real summer vacation” as fellow actors. In the laid-back atmosphere, they share candid memories of joining Unification of Japan (Nihon Touitsu), their fellow Yamazaki members, and their feelings toward the director.

The first installment in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, which has shipped over 30 million copies worldwide, has been adapted into a live action work that remains almost faithful to the original. Produced by the cast and staff of the hugely popular franchise Unification of Japan, which depicts the Japanese underworld, the adaptation is fully supervised by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. The story follows the events leading up to the video game Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties.