In this Yakuza Like a Dragon Substories guide, we will walk you through all the various substories you can find and explore in this latest installment in the Yakuza franchise.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Substories
While there are a number of substories in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, not every chapter in the game has them.
In this guide, we will go through all the different substories present in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Many different chapters have some Substories and they are first unlocked after completing the ‘Hello Work’ main mission.
Below we have listed all the Substories in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, chapter-wise.
Chapter 3 Substories
Forbidden Play
In this substory, approach the officer and the lady at the river side. Somebody will be urinating in the public at the river.
Talk to the officer and then head to the area where there is a blue speech bubble on the map. In the dialogue, choose the third option to confront the suspect.
For helping the officer, you will be rewarded with a Wrap.
Man who Lives with Garbage
To start this, head to the massive pile of garbage in front of the store. A woman there will tell you that it is a pawn shop but she has never seen someone shop here.
Leave the area and then return later to find two men arguing about the trash pile.
Intervene and then first choose to help out in the dialogue, and then the third option “Your wife who ran this place would cry” to increase your Mental stat.
Then you fight Mr. Gomi. You will receive the Fire Charm, and the shop will open.
Chapter 4 Substories
The Wrong Folk
This substory is started as you head towards Otohime Land.
You will have to fight the perv who will be weak to Namba’s Hot Breath attack After the fight, you meet Professor Sujimon and then fight three more enemies.
Lucky Delivery
This substory starts on your return from Otohime Land. You will be handed a flyer and Ichiban says that it is a scam but it’s apparently for help during a fight.
You will be thrown into battle to demonstrate the use.
In the fight, summon Gary Buster from Yakuza 1 and 2 and win the fight to complete the substory.
A Present for You
At the start of Chapter 4 on the other side of the bridge, talk to the homeless man and child and then find him later on in the east side of the map beside the takoyaki place.
In the dialogue, choose the ‘Handmade Bookshelf’ option to raise your kindness.
Now head northwest to the park area. There, fight karate kids to get wood. Next, go south from Hello Work to fight some guys for nails.
Now, speak to the homeless man by the river and after that, go past Hello Work to the blue marker where you can find the bookshelf in the garbage.
You can fight Shota’s dad near the river. For your help, you will be rewarded with a ‘Sacrifice Stone’,
Baby Don’t Cry
Talk to the two men south of Otohime Land after you unlock Delivery Help.
Choose the first option to help the man. Ichiban will try to give the man some advice, choose the second option to “Face your wife” to raise the Kindness stat.
Head to the Pocket Café and talk to the staff to get some hot water. Return to the man and continue.
There will be a fight and after it, choose the top option to drink the milk and raise the Passion stat. Honda Susumu will be added to the Delivery Help list.
Old Cinema Paradise
Talk to the two men outside the theatre and choose the first option to accept owner’s offer to watch a movie.
It will start the ‘Revival House’ mini-game in which you try your best not to fall asleep by pressing buttons on both sides of the controller as the sheep in suits appear.
If you win the game, it will increase your passion stat.
Around the time the Persimmon Sways
Go to the park in Snack Bar area. A man will come to Ichiban along with his daughter, Kana-chan. She claims that when persimmon will fall, she will also die.
Leave the area and then return later to talk to her dad. Leave and return again to confront the sumo wrestler attacking the persimmon tree.
Again, leave and return to face a sniper-like man this time. Leave and come back and this time it will be a student nailing a voodoo doll to the tree.
Leave and return again to finally close out the substory.
Jump into the Ocean!
In this substory, a foreigner will ask for directions to the station. Choose any option and a person will come to the rescue.
You will be introduced to the vocational school. The test first time will be free and have a total of 5 questions. Questions are randomized and you only need 3/5 to pass the test.
A Dragon Racer Starting Today!
In this substory, approach the man wearing a coat inside the park. You will be given an option to try a minigame.
Hama Bomber
After you win the Cerberus Cup, return to the dragon kart front. Choose “It’s a match!” option to race against Naoki and Hama no Umi.
If you win, you will get 300 rings and the kart Rumble Crusher becomes available for 500,000Y.
We are Girls
After you win the Pegasus Cup, Ai and Matsuko will challenge Ichiban to a race. Again, choose “It’s a match!” option to race against them.
You get 300 rings and will able to purchase Rapid Phantom Kart for 500,000Y.
Intelligent Runner
After you win the Pheoenix Cup, Suguru will challenge Ichiban to a race. Again, choose “It’s a match!” option to race against them.
You get 300 rings and the Shadow kart becomes available for 500,000Y.
Crash
After finishing Intelligent runner substory, Akira will be outside the dragon kart entrance. Choose “It’s a match against me!” option to race against them.
You get 300 rings for winning.
Chapter 5 Substories
Dejected Loser of a Terrible Company
This substory is available after you complete 10 tests and unlock Company Management through substory 15. Start by talking to Igari outside the school.
You will have to fight some businessmen.
You will get Self-Possession Handtowel for winning the fight and Igari will join the Ichiban Confectionary.
Part-time Hero.com
Starts as part of the story across from the theatre and in it, you will have to save a guy from some thugs.
You will also have to fight a guy in suit and mask. This will unlock the Job Quest in the main menu.
At Rock bottom Together
Will be part of a main story quest and does not require any special actions. Unlocks Sumire as your blacksmith.
Ijinchou’s Saucer
This quest is part of the main story. In this, you will meet Eri outside Otohime and she will tell her backstory and relation to Nonomiya.
Ichiban will take over the company while you will be taken to the rice cracker shop south of the Snack District.
There, talk to Eri and choose the first option in the dialogue.
Choose the bottom option and just run without her, you will be at a loss, since it’s just a simulation. Ichiban will hook Eri up with Nick Ogata to save the business.
After regaining control, talk to Eri again and this time, rearrange the team members of your one store so that the three gauges at the bottom meet the line.
To do so, swap out the two members and putting in the grandmother and the chicken.
Next, you will have to fire some men to reduce operation costs. In the main menu, choose the bottom option to run the business.
You can hold down R2 to move faster. Eri’s business will finally be out of the red and Nugget will join the Delivery Help list.
Search for His Partner
On the bridge leading to Ichiban’s rental room, you will see a crayfish on the ground.
After you pick it and throw it in the river, an old man will come up running saddened that her ‘Nancy’ was thrown.
Search and return the crayfish back to the old man to complete this substory.
Yokohama’s One Troubled Love
To start, talk to the lady giving out food north of the homeless area. A homeless man will start fighting with you.
Leave the area and then return later to talk to the man. Now, talk to the lady and then to the homeless man again.
Then leave the area and then return to talk to the girl. Choose the top option “Clothes” to raise the Style stat.
Head to the blue bubble at Jinnai Station. Head back to the homeless area and talk to the man again.
In the next part, head to the same area in the daytime and talk to the homeless man and choose the last option “Movie Theatre” to increase Style stat.
In the last part, head to the theatre during nighttime and talk to the homeless man outside. Defeat the abusive man and Shirakawa will join the Delivery Help list.
Crime and Punishment
This substory starts in Snack district in which a lot of reporters will be pressuring an athlete with questions.
Choose the top option to help Hanayama. Go to the Le Nouveau Hama area where you will have to fight some thugs.
Return and speak to Hanayama and then go to the area with Otohime, and talk to the guy with the red cap.
You will have to fight a group of bodyguards here. Return to Anzai, south of Le Nouveau Hama to end the substory and receive Old Fountain Pen.
Hanayama will also join Ichiban Confectionary.
Send Away with the Bubbles
To start this substory, head to the southeast alley in Yokohama. There will be a naked man hiding behind a corner will wave at Kasuga.
Choose the first option to help. The man is in need of some clothes as he has to catch a train to Tokyo. You will have to walk him to the store without letting him get wet.
Guide him to the blue bubble, north of Chicken del sol.
Later, find Awano across from the Seiryu Clan building to get the Mysterious Blush reward.
Chapter 7
Lonely Dining Table
To start, head to the second floor of Wette Kitchen and approach the young person in the blue hat. You will have to fight the scum trying to cop a meal out of the lonely kid.
Walk away from the area and come back to approach the boy who will be outside now.
Now, head to the snack district and talk to the guy at Hustle clothing store. Beat the thief to obtain the Maximum Mitten as a reward.
Return to Wette Kitchen and talk to Noboru standing outside under a lamplight. Noboru will join the Ichiban Confectionary.
Gokudo’s Garbage Dump
To start, head to the parking lot across the blacksmith. Help the guy stuck in the trash and then walk away and come back to talk to him.
He will tell you to pick something. The first option gets you Unsigned Sword, the second one gets you Rusted Chainmail, the third gets you Ice Protective Charm, and the last option gets you nothing.
Choose according to your liking.
Then leave the area and come back again to talk to Shige.
You will now have to fight a pair of Yakuza. Defeat them to obtain Chinese Manual as a reward and Shige will join the Ichiban Confectionary.
The Value of Kindness
This substory is started by talking to the girl near Kaminai Station, north of Wette Kittchen. Choose the option to donate money to help her.
Also help her choose different locations to ask for donations. Choose the bottom option “Popular Eatery” to raise the Intelligence stat.
Now walk away and come back to talk to Megumi and choose the middle option to raise mental stat. Now, head to the Chinese Pub and talk to the man and woman by the stairs.
Fight him, then head back to talk to Megumi. She’ll give you Ball Earrings as a reward.
That Delicious Pain, One More Time
To start, approach the guy banging his head against a tree. Choose the middle option “Mister Maso” to increase the Intelligence stat.
Choose the first option to help him feel pain. Your basic attacks will do 0 damage, and he will also do 0 damage to you as well.
After it ends, head back south to the Poppo and talk to Yumiko at the cash register.
Now talk to Mister Maso’s mom inside the store. Choose the first option. Leave the park and fight the three guys ganging up against Yumiko.
She will gift you the Rope to Paradise as a reward. Makinohara Sota joins the Delivery Help list.
Fading Star
To start, go to the restaurant in Geomijul area. Head to head to Bar Rodriguez in the Snack District and choose the first option to interfere and fight.
In the dialogue, choose the middle option to increase Intelligence. Give him some water and then head on to head to Isesaki Road to the blue bubble marker.
Choose the option to fight. You will get a memorable bullet as a reward and Yu-Jin joins the Delivery Help list.
Make that Kimchi Extra Spicy
Talk to the granny at intersection south of Geomijul area to start. Head north of Citron and get 3 legendary Kimchi.
Now you will have to find 3 unfortunate souls. First one can be found at Kaminai Station. Choose the first option to give the school girl some kimchi.
Next soul can be found at Hamakita Park. Talk to the guy in the blue tank top and choose to give him some kimchi.
Head back to where you met the granny and give her the last kimchi. The Passion stat will raise. Head back to the kimchi gramps, to see many buyers.
Umeko will join the Ichiban Confectionary.
Chapter 9
Each Thought
Talk to the little girl in Akaushimaru to start. She has been skipping school to collect donations. Leave and come back to talk to Megumi again.
Head towards Hello Work to find three thugs talking to Megumi’s dad. Follow the thugs to fight and defeat them.
After getting the 1 million yen, go to the neighboring town’s hospital. When back in Ijincho, head to Akaushimaru to meet the whole family.
At the hospital, you will find out that the surgery was a success and Megumi reads out the letter from the donor. Megumi will join the Delivery Help list.
Masked Murderer
In the group of people, talk to the remaining guy and choose the first option to investigate.
This substory will resume in chapter 10 and once you have control, go north of Omoni no Chikai for an event.
You will fight the masked man there who turns out to be Jie, the successor of a meat shop. Get Oni’s Wristband as a reward.
Jie joins the Delivery Help list.
A Tour Guide’s Job
To start, talk to the tour guide north of la chatte blanche. Meet Ayami near the Sun Gate in Chinatown and choose either the top of second option to continue.
Then, choose the bottom option of ‘Red Dragon’ to increase Passion stat.
Next, choose the bottom option ‘blue billboard’ to raise the Intelligence stat. Last, choose the bottom option ‘Ultra Bakumori Super Meat Bun’ to raise the Style stat.
After the tour ends, you will have to fight a level 24 thug.
You will get the Fancy Mic and Technique Upper. Ishida Ayami will join Ichiban Confectionary.
Beware of Counterfeit goods
In Gazebo Chinatown, talk to Ono Michio. Choose the dialogue options and the man will show you all the toys he dropped in the area.
You will have to pick up 7 real toys in order to progress. Be careful as the fake ones explode and eat away at your health.
The real ones have long sleeves so keep an eye out. You will receive an Ono Michio Figure for your troubles.
The Unforgiven
To start, find Pachimon and watch the scene in which Kasuga will fight the fake and his thugs wearing the Ono Michio costume.
You will be rewarded with a Boombox while Hironaka joins Ichiban Confectionary and Ono Michio joins the Delivery Help list.
Half a Man
To start, go to the Mongolian Rice in Chinatown and talk to two men apologizing to a woman. Walk away and then return to help the father out.
Walk away and come back to talk to the son outside. Choose the middle option “Polish your skills” to raise the Kindness stat.
Now leave and come back to fight the two cooks. You will get Imperial Court Tongs as a reward.
I Cannot Forget You
Start by going east of Le Nouveau Hama. A girl in white will call out to you. Choose the first option to continue, and then choose the middle option to go to the arcade.
Play arcade games and try to win something to increase Kindness stat.
Next, head to the café where you will have to fight three thugs.
At night, Kaede will tell Ichiban to live her share of life too, to the fullest.
Ijinmachi Song of Madness
Start by heading to the biker gang in Hamakita park. There, talk to Taka and choose the first option in dialogue.
Walk away and head to Chuo Road west of Hello Work and check the purple bike. You will fight three thugs. Get Fencer’s Long Gloves as a reward.
Taka will join the Delivery Help list.
Going to Suck Now
Go to Sesil Café in northern Yokohama. You will have to invest a total of 1 million yen to continue. Talk to Dr. Okita to invest from 1 to 1 million yen as many times as you want.
Once you have donated the money, go to the blue marker to get an e-mail from Dr. Okita.
Head south to the next marker for another event. choose the first option to fight and if you are victorious, you are awarded half a million yen and Osojimaru will join the Ichiban Confectionary.
The enemy is weak against Thunder attacks and resists fire damage. Focus on its arms to do extra damage.
Legendary Back Weapon Shop
Go to the ladder east of Golden Flower Pharmacy. Talk to the man and choose the first option to unlock the ‘?’ Entertainment Spot on the map.
After unlocking the area, talk to Iroha at Survive bar to start the substory. She will tell you of this Legendary Back Weapon Shop.
Head to the weapons shop which is north of the movie theatre.
Talk to the man and choose the first option, then choose the second option to complete the password, raising the Intelligence stat.
Then you will have to fight him and two others. Then head to the blue bubble marker near the Koikoi/Oichokabu play spots.
Make sure your mental stat is at least level 7 before talking to Chau or you will have to return once it is. Chau casually mentions someone from the Tojo Clan and his shop opens up.
Buy any item and then talk to him again to finish the substory. Chau joins the Delivery Help list.
Chapter 10
These substories are available after rescuing Zhao.
Welcome to the Animal Circus 1
To start, head to Hamakita Park and go to the white bubble on the map. There, you will be handed a flyer for the animal circus.
Now head to the east side of the park to the blue bubble for the event. Here you will fight Catherine the Bear.
After the fight is done, you will be rewarded with Chief’s Towel and the ringleader introduces himself as Yasuda.
Welcome to the Animal Circus 2
After part 1, walk away and come back and talk to Yasuda. Now you will have a fight with Charlotte the Tiger.
After the fight is done, you will be rewarded with Honour Medal. Now head south to the pair of construction workers for an event.
The worker goes on break without turning off the excavator.
Welcome to the Animal Circus 3
In the last part, talk to Yasuda up on stage and he will reveal chimpanzee Clara. However, it will climb the excavator and you will be fighting it.
Defeat it to obtain Avici Hell Wax Figure and Clara joins Ichiban Confectionary.
Chapter 12
Traffic Master
To start, head to Hidamari Castle in upper Ijincho and talk to the man sitting on the bench to the east of the building.
Help him by choosing the last option. Count how many men pass by in 15 seconds (it turns out to be 4 men).
Get 10,000 yen and raise the Mental stat by answering correctly.
Now, head south and talk to him and help him again. You will have to count how many women walk by in 20 seconds.
Correct answer is the third option, “7 people”. Get 20,000 yen and raise the Mental stat.
Now, head south again and talk to the cross guard to help him out. In 15 seconds memorize how many men and women pass by.
The correct answer is the first option, “5 men, 6 women”. Get 30,000 yen and raise the Mental stat for helping.
Chapter 15 Substories
Battle of Men
To start this substory, talk to Jin sitting on bench across Dragaon Kart.
Choose the first option to race him. You will get 300 rings for winning and unlock the Dragaon Cup.
The Greath Lengths of the Bousou-otoko
In this substory, you will be competing for the Dragon Cup. Fight the Dragon Fighter. After the fight, choose the second option to race against him on the Final Kamuro Circuit.
Get 500 rings for winning and also unlock the Rising Dragon kart, available for 1 million yen. Completing this will net you the “Dragon Kart Master” trophy as well.
The Dating Simulation Substories
To complete these, all the Human Power Stats must be at Level 10. It includes the following tasks.
- Use niginigi services
- Choose certain dialogue choices during Relationship Drama and substories
- Do Vocational School tests (stat increase only happens the first time you pass each test)
- Complete Challenges Quests (battle, adventure, and play spot)
- Use book items to increase stats by 50 points (some books are available as game prizes)
Make sure you have a source of income like Company Management to be able to buy all the flowers/plants.
What I Want to Protect
To start this substory, max out the tiers for Sumire’s blacksmith shop. This will require 22.5 Million Yen in total.
500,000Y for the second tier, 2,000,000Y for the third tier, and 20,000,000Y for the fourth and last tier.
The money can be donated to her in any amount by talking to her and choosing the 4th option.
Next, prepare a total of 16 bonzai plants. They can either be bought as pine samplings. Grow them around town, and then have the Survive bar Master make the plants.
You can also buy pine trees or bonsai plants from the Flower Shop in Hamakita Park.
Have the Passion Stat at level 10 and Talk to Sumire and choose the second option to talk/give her bonsai plants. You can do this in succession without having to leave the area.
- at level 4, give her one bonsai
- at level 7, give her 5 bonsai
- at level 10, give her 10 bonsai
Walk towards the exit for the substory to activate. The two will have a heartfelt talk. Sumire’s dad will show up. Fight him and his four collector friends.
Sumire admits her feelings for Ichiban. The substory ends and she joins Ichiban Confectionary.
Dream
To start, have level 5 relationship drama with Saeko and style stat to level 10. Then during the day, go to Survive bar and talk to Saeko, choose the top option to drink with her.
Choose the top (Mental +10) or bottom option (Mental +20) if you need to increase the Mental stat. Substory will play out without any action then.
Vision of Us
To start, achieve rank 1 in Company Management mini-game which will make the Relationship Drama level with Eri at level 5. Kindness Level should be level 10 as well.
Then talk to Eri at Ichiban Holdings.
Then go to Survive Bar and talk to Eri again. The story will playout.
Something I Want to Hand Over
To start, must pass all 21 tests at the Vocational School and prepare a total of 16 bouquets of lilies. They can be bought from the Flower Shop in Hamakita Park.
When you have intelligence stat at 10, talk to Miyakoshi at the front desk of the vocational school.
Choose the second option to talk/give her lily bouquets. You can do this in succession without leaving the area.
- give her 1 bouquet at level 4
- give her 5 bouquets at level 7
- give her 10 bouquets at level 10
A scene will take over activating the substory. She hands Ichiban the Certification of Completion. She will confess her feelings and join the Ichiban Confectionary.
Secret Chat
To start this story, you need to activate and complete a certain number of party chats, have the cheer stat at level 10 and prepare a total of 16 rose bouquets.
When all this is done, go to Survive bar and talk to Iroha. Choose the top option to talk/give her rose bouquets.
You can do this in succession without leaving the area.
- give her 1 bouquet at level 4
- give her 5 bouquets at level 7
- give her 10 bouquets at level 10
Talk to her again to activate the actual substory. The substory will close out with no more action on your part.
Yanagi Iroha joins Ichiban Confectionary.
The Real You
To start, go to Hello Work and Job Change all of Kasuga’s jobs. You also need to prepare 16 bouquets of pansies and have mental stat at level 10.
Then talk to Ririka at Hello Work and choose the second option to give her bouquets of pansies.
- give her 1 bouquet at level 4
- give her 5 bouquets at level 7
- give her 10 bouquets at level 10
After giving all the bouquets, eave the area and come back to talk to her and finish the rest of the substory.
Relationship Troubles
To start, complete the 6 earlier substories of chapter 15 and then go to the second floor of Survive bar where a scene will take over in front of the futon.
This will end this particular substory.
