Template:PolkaThe mastermind behind a self-sufficient underground world called Purgatory and a district-wide surveillance system, Kage the Florist (Sai no Hanaya in the Japanese version and The Florist of Sai In Kiwami) is a notorious professional informant, and can provide any information for a price. Kage, whose real name is a mystery, once worked for the police until he was busted by fellow detective Makoto Date for selling information on the black market. He abandoned his family when he went underground, but still watches over them.
Yakuza
During the first game, Kage is based in Purgatory.
His son, Takashi, is involved with a girl called Kyoko, who happens to be the daughter of the head of the Atobe Family. Kage repeatedly helps his son out, although Takashi doesn't know who Kage really is, and says someday he would like to meet Takashi as a father rather than as an informant. In the fourth game Takashi requests that Kage tells him who his real father is and Kage sends him a bouquet telling him his father is dead; Takashi, however, recognises the flowers and makes the connection.
Yakuza 2
In Yakuza 2 he has moved to the Millennium Tower's 50th floor, before returning to Purgatory.
Yakuza 3
During Yakuza 3, he borrows the space from Majima, who now owns the area to build Kamurocho Hills.
Yakuza 4
Yakuza: Dead Souls
In Yakuza: Dead Souls, Kage opens the door to Sai no Kawara as a refuge for civilians from the outside zombies. He helps Kiryu find DD and Nikaido hiding at the top of Millennium Tower, in exchange for help getting rid of the zombies trying to break into Sai no Kawara.
Yakuza 5
Appearance
Kage is of large and stocky build, and rather overweight. He wears a pair of red trousers, slippers and nothing but a blue and gold dress robe on top. He has thin hair on top and a thick moustache, and is often seen smoking a cigar.
Personality
Kage is a shrewd businessman, and a strong believer in the idea of favours and back-scratching. He almost always wants a price for any kind of service he offers to people, although he does very occasionally partake in altruistic acts, especially where Kiryu is concerned. He is very keen to keep up an image of having a strong will and not compromising on anything, even when it comes to his own son, whom he pretends is not related to him when the two meet. Although he has quite an extrovert personality, the fact that he is only ever seen wearing pyjamas suggests that he doesn't often go outside.
The fact that he organizes, and enjoys watching, fights in the coliseum, which are often violent and bloody, and occasionally to the death, suggests that he may have a sadistic streak.
Trivia
- His name on the Japanese version is Hanaya, meaning florist. This name is taken from "Sai no Kawara" (the Japanese name for Purgatory) and "Hanaya", the Japanese word for florist, since he provides his information using cards attached to flower bouquets.
- The reason his name was changed to Kage in the western version isn't known, but it's likely that the localization team thought that the name Hanaya was too feminine.
In the original yakuza game, the TVs in Kage's surveillance hub are branded 'Kabuki', a reference to Kamurocho's real life counterpart, Kabukicho.
