Kazama Shintarō (known as Fuma in the English versions of the first three games and by his original name Shintaro Kazama since Yakuza 4) is a Tojo Clan Affiliate, former Lieutenant of the Dojima Family, as well as Kazama(Fuma in english dub) Family Captain in the first Yakuza.
Biography
Apart from being in organized crime, Kazama also assisted the Sunflower Orphanage and took care of both Kiryu, Nishiki and Yumi. Due to an old injury on his left foot, he was usually seen with a cane to assist himself. Ten years after the event in 1995, Kazama sent Kiryu a letter the day before his parole.
Yakuza 0
Yakuza
A kind and honourable man, a Tojo Clan affiliate, first captain of the Kazama Family he founded after Sohei Dojima's death, absorbing the remains of the Dojima Family, thus making this new family the most powerful in the Tojo Clan. This advantage helped keep the other affiliate captains in check. However, five years after the murder a rift was created in the Kazama Family when Nishikiyama, a supposed lieutenant, broke away and declared his own family.
This caused many of Kazama's men to desert to the rival family. Kazama was the one that helped inform Kiryu about the current state of affairs when he was released from prison.
At Masaru Sera's funeral, Kiryu meets up with Kazama but the latter is shot by an assassin, Nishikiyama. Shinji Tanaka, Nishikiyama's lieutenant, takes Kazama to a hospital to recover. At some point Shinji turns Kazama over to Yukio Terada, a lieutenant of the Omi Family who is indebted to the latter.
Kazama is kept on Terada's yacht until Kiryu can meet him. Futoshi Shimano than attacks the yacht, but is defeated by the Kazama Family's reinforcements.
Kazama is killed while protecting Haruka Sawamura from a grenade thrown by Shimano Shimano. Shortly before he dies, Kazama admits that he was the one who killed Kiryu's parents and that the Sunflower Orphanage is where he sends the children of the people he kills, making them into orphans. Despite this, Kiryu forgives Kazama and calls him the only parent he ever had.
Yakuza 2
It is shown at the start of Yakuza 2 that Kazama participated in the slaughter of the Jingweon mafia 20 years ago. This is later revealed to be an action carried out at Sohei Dojima's behest, which he agreed to after much reluctance. Unlike his partner in this operation, Futo Shimano, Kazama actually showed mercy to a few Jingeweon operatives, although this action eventually caused the events of Yakuza 2. Unwilling to kill them, and attempting to strike a deal, Kazama told the Jingweon boss that if they would leave town he would spare their lives. However, a young Kazuma Kiryu, thinking Kazama was in danger, ran into the room with a pipe. Thinking he had been double-crossed, the boss attempted to shoot Kiryu, prompting Kazama to shoot. This began the massacre.
Yakuza 3
In Yakuza 3, Kazama seemingly returns and is involved in a situation where Daigo Dojima is shot. This is later revealed to be his younger brother, Joji Kazama, who, because Shintaro never mentioned about him to anyone including those "close" to him (i.e. Kazuma), he would appear to be Shintaro Kazama due to looking very similar to each other.
Personality
As a person of principles, he was well-known and had gained the trust of many. As the financier of the Sunflower Orphanage, Kazama was always looking out for talented candidates to join the Yakuza. Early on he noticed the skills of Kazuma Kiryu and Nishiki and brought them into the organization. Kazuma pleased him greatly with his advances in the Dojima Clan, until the devastating incident that changed everything. Shintaro also killed Kazuma's parents.
Trivia
- Shintaro Kazama's last name is very similar to Kiryu's given name, Kazuma. This is presumably why he was renamed "Fuma" in the English version, so that western audiences wouldn't be confused by the similar sounding names.
- The kanji for Kazama 風間 can also incorrectly be read as "Fūma" so it may have been a simple translation error due to a translator working from script only.
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