Nishikiyama Family

Lore & Background

The narrative foundation of the Nishikiyama Family is rooted in betrayal and the corrosive effects of envy. In 1995, after Kiryu took the fall for Dojima's murder to allow Nishikiyama time with his terminally ill sister, Nishikiyama eventually formed his own faction after Kazama's imprisonment, though there is no clear evidence of Kazama giving explicit blessing for the family's formation. The family's history is deeply tied to the original Yakuza game, where it serves as the vehicle for Nishikiyama's ambition to seize control of the Tojo Clan and claim ten billion yen. His motivation was driven by jealousy toward Kiryu, whom he viewed as stronger and more popular, and a desire to surpass him completely. The family's arc is further explored in Yakuza Kiwami, which reveals how Nishikiyama snapped under the stress of his sister's illness and the disrespect from subordinates, leading him to kill a subordinate (Matsushige) who had tormented him before his sister's death—not after—and transforming into a cold, calculating mafioso determined to destroy the legend of the 'Dragon of Dojima'.

In Their Own Story

The story of the family unfolds across multiple timelines. In Yakuza 0, set seventeen years prior, Nishikiyama is depicted as a warm, impulsive, and image-conscious young man who supports Kiryu even after being accused of a crime he didn't commit. He frequently teams up with Kiryu in side activities like karaoke and batting cages before eventually turning on him out of an inferiority complex. By the time of Yakuza Kiwami, the dynamic shifts drastically; flashbacks show Nishikiyama struggling to cope as a leader meant for Kiryu, unable to act decisively while subordinates stole from other families and blamed him. After a failed suicide attempt was interrupted by a tormentor, he murdered that man and embraced cruelty to prove himself superior. In the final chapter of Yakuza, Nishikiyama reveals his awareness of Jingu's scheme but remains indifferent until Kiryu confronts him about their shared past. The feud culminates in a shirtless showdown where both men display their tattoos—the dragon and the koi—before Kiryu defeats him. Following Jingu fatally shooting Yumi, Nishikiyama redeems himself by stabbing Jingu and sacrificing his own life to detonate a bomb.

Reader's Guide

To understand the Nishikiyama Family, one must look at the specific turning points that defined its existence. The family's formation was a direct result of Akira Nishikiyama's decision to betray Shintaro Kazama after Kiryu went to prison. Key events include the murder of Sohei Dojima in 1995, the subsequent ten-year imprisonment of Kiryu, and the internal power struggle that erupted upon his return. In Yakuza Kiwami, players can experience the 'Rise' of this family through flashback cutscenes running parallel to Kiryu's story, witnessing Nishikiyama's descent from a reluctant leader into a ruthless boss. The family also features prominently in the final battle of the original game, where Reina is revealed as a mole who betrayed Kiryu out of love for Nishikiyama before being killed by his own hitmen. Ultimately, the family dissolves with Nishikiyama's death after he sacrifices himself to kill Jingu.

Did You Know?

• Nishikiyama's back tattoo features a golden koi depicted in the nukibori style (no background), contrary to claims that it has a background like water or waves.
• In Yakuza Kiwami, voice actor Kazuhiro Nakaya found Nishikiyama's script so emotionally difficult that he felt unable to read any scripts for a while after finishing it.
• Nishikiyama admitted in the final chapter of Yakuza that his betrayal was driven by jealousy because Yumi loved Kiryu and because Kiryu was always more popular and stronger than him.
• The character appears as a boss in the promotional freeware game Streets of Kamurocho, released for Sega's 60th anniversary in October 2020, but the final boss is a giant Majima.