Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1.
The first three episodes of Like a Dragon: Yakuza‘s debut season see Kazuma Kiryu, Akira Nishikiyama, and other Kamurochō underworld types on the hunt for a hanko. But what exactly is a hanko, and why is everyone after one in Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1?
What Is a Hanko in Like a Dragon: Yakuza?
Like a Dragon: Yakuza‘s hanko becomes a big deal in Season 1, Episode 2, “Ambition / Desire.” Here, we learn that Dojima Family patriarch Sohei Dojima needs both the hanko and a deed belonging to American businessman Edgar Beale to make his Millennium Tower project a reality. This triggers a mad scramble to track down both items, with the Florist of Sai ultimately beating Kiryu and Nishiki to the hanko (earning his moniker in the process).
It’s all very exciting, but the trade-off is that we don’t actually get an explanation of what a hanko is and why it matters. So, here’s the deal. A hanko is an officially registered, unique seal used for conducting business – including land purchases – in Japan. That’s why Dojima wants Beale’s hanko: before he can legally take control of the Millennium Tower lot, he needs the hanko to stamp the relevant documents.
We actually get a brief glimpse of the hanko seal in Episode 3, “Brothers / Sisters.” Encased in a silver chess piece, it boasts a highly ornate design. Even the taciturn Dojima is impressed, admitting he’s never seen a hanko like Beale’s before. Yet Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1’s hanko still functions the same as any other. It’s simply a tool for completing paperwork.
But then, given the paperwork in Like a Dragon: Yakuza is directly tied to organized crime, this hanko is decidedly less pedestrian than most!
Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1 Episodes 1-3 are currently streaming on Prime Video. Episodes 4-6 premiere on Nov. 1, 2024.