When Kiryu was younger, his mother and father had been murdered by a member of the yakuza. He ended up in an orphanage, and idolized Shintaro Kazama, the yakuza who operated the place. Kazama was a lackey of the Tojo Clan, who had been in a protracted turf warfare with the Jingweon Mafia. He was a part of a plan to take out two of its leaders at a Christmas social gathering in 1980, however had a change of coronary heart, and tried to persuade them to flee as an alternative. Kiryu, misunderstanding the scenario, tried to interrupt to save lots of Kazama. Within the chaos, a shootout ensued, Kazama killed the mafia boss, and lots of died.
Within the years following, Kiryu’s obsession with the yakuza grew, and Kazama ultimately allowed Kiryu and his pal from the orphanage, Akira Nishkiyama, to affix the Dojima household.
However in fact, Kiryu has to pay his dues, and so he begins on the underside rung of the ladder…
