Tojo Clan

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The story of the Tojo Clan is deeply rooted in the relationships formed at Sunflower Orphanage. Kazuma Kiryu was raised there with Akira Nishikiyama, Yuko, and Yumi Sawamura after Shintaro Kazama, a Dojima Family lieutenant who financed the orphanage, brought him there following his parents' murder at Kazama's own hands. Kazama visited and acted as a father figure to Kiryu, supporting him through the years until his release from prison. By 1988, Kiryu was already a member of the Dojima Family, having been introduced to the organization alongside Nishikiyama. The clan's hierarchy saw Kiryu rise significantly, earning the nickname "the Dragon of Dojima" (Dōjima no Ryū) after his final confrontation with Keiji Shibusawa. The organization's stability was shattered when Kiryu took the blame for Sohei Dojima's murder to protect Nishikiyama, leading to a decade of incarceration.

In Their Own Story

In 2001, Masumi Arakawa, the patriarch of the Tojo Clan's Arakawa Family, asked Ichiban Kasuga to take the fall for a murder he did not commit. Kasuga accepted this as repayment for his patriarch's favor and spent eighteen years in prison. Upon his release in 2019, Kasuga discovered that the Tojo Clan had collapsed entirely, leaving him forgotten by the organization he once served. He confronted Arakawa, only to be shot in the chest. Days later, Kasuga awoke in Isezaki Ijincho, Yokohama, finding himself embroiled in a new conspiracy involving multiple yakuza families and political figures, marking the end of the Tojo Clan's dominance as known in previous installments.

Reader's Guide

The Tojo Clan features several key families and figures central to its history. The Dojima Family was led by Sohei Dojima, whose murder triggered a decade-long absence for Kazuma Kiryu. The Shimano Family included Goro Majima, a lieutenant known as the "Mad Dog of Shimano" for his twisted loyalty and lack of mercy; Majima later became head of his own family while maintaining a rivalry with Kiryu. Other notable members include Shun Akiyama, who owned Sky Finance after being framed for bank theft in 2005, and Ichiban Kasuga, originally a member of the Arakawa Family. The clan's structure relied on patriarchs like Masumi Arakawa, whose actions in 2001 set off a chain of events leading to the organization's eventual collapse by 2019.

Did You Know?

• Kazuma Kiryu earned the nickname 'the Dragon of Dojima' after his final fight with Keiji Shibusawa, not before.
• Ichiban Kasuga served an eighteen-year prison sentence starting in 2001 before the Tojo Clan collapsed during 2019.
• Shintaro Kazama financed Sunflower Orphanage and acted as a father figure to Kiryu after killing his parents, not before.
• Goro Majima is referred to as the 'Mad Dog of Shimano' due to his temper and lack of mercy.