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Joji Kazama[b] (風間 譲二, Kazama Jōji) is a supporting character in Yakuza 3. He is an agent for the American Central Intelligence Agency's East Asia Division.

Profile[]

Appearance[]

Joji is the spitting image of his brother Shintaro with the only difference being the former's graying hairs. He has a considerably fit physique given his age. He has black (going gray) slicked back hair and a moustache.

Attire[]

Joji wears a black three piece suit over a royal blue dress shirt, black leather oxfords, and a black and gray regimental striped necktie.

Personality[]

When your chairman tells you to do something, you damn well do it. And the CIA is my "chairman." They say I need to kill someone, no matter the target... I'm going to kill them.

— Joji Kazama, Yakuza 3 Remastered

Joji is a no-nonsense, result-oriented man, as he wants to get the resort deal to go smoothly. He seems very similar to his brother in terms of personality, having no qualms about even killing people if he is given such an order, and is loyal to his organization above all else.

Background[]

SPOILER WARNING: Plot details for Yakuza 3 follow. (Skip)

Joji lost both of his parents at a very young age, with his only surviving relative being his older brother, Shintaro Kazama. As an adult, Joji joined the police force in the Foreign Affairs division.[c] During this period, Joji met and became friends with his colleague, Ryuzo Tamiya, and the two rose through the police ranks together.

Around 1979, Joji emigrated to the USA to avoid persecution due to his brother's status as a Tojo Clan officer, earning a fresh start as a CIA agent working in their Far East Intelligence division. Though it is unknown to what extent the brothers kept in touch, Joji had learned from Shintaro that one of the orphans the latter took in, Kazuma Kiryu, had "beautiful eyes."

Involvement[]

Yakuza 3: 2009[]

On command from the CIA, Joji enters the Ryudo Family Office alongside his partner, in order to steal the deed for Morning Glory Orphanage's land. Entering the office, Joji encounters Shigeru Nakahara, and the latter pulls out his gun, forcing his partner to shoot him first. About two hours later, Joji and his partner enter Daigo Dojima's office and begin waiting for him. When Daigo enters, Joji hands him the deed and attempts to negotiate for help with the military expansion deal. Joji reaches into his pocket, however is mistaken for reaching for a gun by Daigo, and Daigo pulls out his own gun, causing Joji's partner to shoot him first.

Days later, Joji tracks down Lau Ka Long and shoots his subordinates, then shoots him in the head, protecting Kazuma Kiryu and Rikiya Shimabukuro. While walking away, Joji is called out by Kiryu, and is asked if he is Shintaro Kazama or not. Joji simply remarks about Kiryu's "beautiful eyes" before walking away.

Joji is instructed to shoot Shoyo Toma in Okinawa, and Kiryu is sent by Tamiya to stop him. Due to Kiryu's intervention, Toma is able to escape, but Joji is still dead-set on killing him, resulting in the two engaging in an unarmed duel. Kiryu and Joji are both exhausted after the latter is defeated, and Kiryu remarks that he would not have won had Joji been in his prime. After Joji regains consciousness, he explains to Kiryu the situation regarding Black Monday and the two are later interrupted by Taichi, who rushed to find Kiryu to tell him Yoshitaka Mine and the Tamashiro Family had destroyed Morning Glory Orphanage. Before Kiryu leaves, Joji tells him he will arrange for transportation to Kamurocho.

Later on, Joji heads to the bullring attempting to save Kiryu and his friends from Tamashiro. Arriving at the bullring, Joji shoots Tetsuo Tamashiro in the head to protect Kiryu, however, is too late to save Rikiya from being shot.

Kiryu travels to an Okinawa airfield with Haruka Sawamura, Joji having prepared a high-speed jet for them. Kiryu offers to shake Joji's hand before his departure, but Joji declines, saying he will wait until the mission is complete. Later on, Joji calls Kiryu's phone, and alerts him that the CIA will protect him, as they have the goal of apprehending Andre Richardson.

Joji co-pilots a helicopter with a CIA agent, with Haruka accompanying them, and lands on the top of the Touto University Hospital, rescuing Kiryu and Daigo there.

He is presumed to have returned to the United States afterward, as his mission was accomplished.

SPOILERS END HERE. (Return)

Fighting Style[]

Joji's entire moveset is animations from Virtua Fighter 5's Jean Kujo, making him a Kyokushin Karate fighter like Jean. His combos include:

  • a left jab, a right cross and a left uppercut,
  • a left jab, a right cross, a left gut punch and a low left kick. Joji will feint the left gut punch if you're blocking and use the low left kick that can bypass the block.
  • a left jab, a high right kick and a right backfist,
  • a right knee, a left high kick and a Morote Zuki (Kouyou Getsutotsu -> Ryoutezuki), and
  • a left chop followed by a kneeling right punch which can stun (Chinshin Seichuken).

Other moves include: a quick left front kick (Kakegeri), a double jump kick (Kou'un Nidan Hizageri), the Komaki Knockback immediately followed up by a right straight kick and a right straight punch, a running left kick (Tobi Yokogeri), a parry stance where he automatically judo throws Kiryu if he attacks from the front, and a left hammer fist (Nozuchi).

He may perform a Heat Action on Kiryu if he is downed, kneeing Kiryu's face three times. This heat action can also be performed by Sugiuchi in Yakuza 4.

Nishikiyama in Yakuza Kiwami reuses Kouyou Getsutotsu and Nozuchi. Joji's aura is blazing yellow and orange.

Joji is also a proficient marksman, being able to kill people with a single shot to their head. His weapon of choice is a Heckler & Koch USP.

Trivia[]

  • Joji is shown to be fluent in English.
  • In Yakuza 6, one of the cards that can be used when talking with a hostess states "I'll say 'Beautiful Eyes'... in English." This is likely a reference to Joji.

Gallery[]

Yakuza 3[]

Ryu Ga Gotoku Online[]

Notes[]

  1. The given birth years of 1948/1949 are an estimate based on Joji's age and are not intended as a substitute for an official date.
  2. In the original Western release of Yakuza 3 on the PS3, Joji was renamed to Joji Fuma, which was done in keeping with Yakuza and Yakuza 2's decision to localize the name Kazama as Fuma. This is speculated (but not confirmed) to have originally been a translation error, as the kanji for Kazama (風間) can also be read as "Fūma." It may also have been a deliberate change to prevent confusion from arising due to the similarity between the names "Kazama" and "Kazuma," which is what Kiryu was typically referred to as in these releases.
  3. Tamiya describes that "Foreign Affairs" was known under a different name at the time.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, “All-Star Tournament”, Yakuza 3 Remastered (2009; Tokyo: SEGAWP, 2019), PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Windows.
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