Yakuza: Like a Dragon might only offer a small map when compared to far larger games, but the area that players get to explore is particularly dense, with lots of small passageways, buildings to enter, and full of secret areas that players can discover. Additionally, there are other maps that are available to players during certain points of the game, and these too have their own secrets to discover.
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There are a few secret areas that players might stumble across during their playthrough, but to make things a little easier, here is a guide to the most top-secret spots that players should definitely pay a visit to.
Updated on March 10th, 2021: Yakuza: Like a Dragon is finally available for PlayStation 5, introducing a whole new audience of players to the Yakuza fandom. While other console players have had months to get to grips with Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's latest adventure, PlayStation 5 players have the benefit of being able to look up all the information they need as all of the secrets of Yokohama have already been uncovered.
Some of those secrets are hidden locations that can only be accessed after players have fulfilled certain requirements, or during randomly triggered conditions. Below is a list of the 11 hidden areas that players might otherwise miss in their normal playthrough.
11 Secret Casino
There's a secret Casino hidden in Chinatown that has minigames such as Blackjack and Poker available for players to enjoy. However, this little gem doesn't show on the map until after players have already discovered it.
Players will need to head to the public toilets in Chinatown and speak to the NPC just outside. As long as Ichiban's Style Level is at least 4, the NPC will let slip that there is a secret casino hidden in the back toilet stall. Head inside the toilets, enter the stall, and examine the wall to find it!
10 Honk Honk NPC #1
Hidden throughout Like a Dragon are special Honk Honk NPCs, in fact, there is a trophy/achievement related to finding all five of them. Problem is, they're hidden in obscure places and they're not always there, as they spawn randomly. If they're not there on your first visit, try using a taxi to refresh the map and visit again.
The first Honk Honk NPC can be found in the small alleyway south of Survive Bar, and paying her 10,000 yen will increase Ichiban's Passion by 10.
9 Secret Gambling Hall
For anyone looking for some more traditional minigames, there's a secret gambling hall that has traditional Japanese card games such as Oichi-Kabu. Much like the secret casino, this place won't show on the map until the player has already discovered it.
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Close to Kinka Bridge, there will be two NPCs who won't let players pass them unless Ichiban has at least Level 4 in Confidence. After this, they will allow him to pass and talk about a secret gambling hall that can be found down a ladder and along a short path.
8 Honk Honk NPC #2
The next Honk Honk NPC can be found south of Jinnai Station, on Hyakkei Street, and north of Wette Kitchen. There are stairs that descend down into a subway area, one of which is home to a silver safe. This is the subway that players want to be in, as this is where the NPC should appear, in front of the shutters.
For 50,000 yen she will increase Ichiban's Passion, Charisma, and Kindness by 10 each. Interestingly, these Honk Honk NPCs can be visited more than once, but players have to leave some time before using their services again.
7 Secret Shop: Fumie
The first secret shop that players will want to visit is Fumie and it can be found close to the map edge on Sunrise Street, past where Ichiban and Nanba have their first housed accommodation. In order to access this shop, one of the characters in the party must be the Foreman job role.
The shop is hidden behind planks and debris, and a Foreman can use his Demolish ability to tear these down and allow access into the store, which sells weapons.
6 Honk Honk NPC #3
The next Honk Honk NPC can only be accessed after players have progressed past Chapter 11, as they will need the key card item that lets them access the back garden area of Sunlight Castle, the retirement home that players should remember from earlier in the game.
This NPC can be found in the far corner and he is the most expensive Honk Honk NPC; for the princely sum of 100,000 yen, this guy will increase each of Ichiban's personality stats by 10.
5 Secret Shop: Black Market Merchant
The next secret shop is the Black Market Merchant weapon shop and it can be found close to Restaurant Row. Players should be familiar with this little area by now, as there is a secret staircase in the alley that branches off from Ijin Street that they would have been guided to as part of the earlier storyline.
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Players need to head up the small stairs, then before they descend to the next level again, look around for a boarded-up door. Once again, a Foreman is required to use the Demolish skill to remove this obstacle, and then the shop will be accessible.
4 Honk Honk NPC #4
The next Honk Honk NPC is found in the Sotenbori area, which means it's not accessible until later in the game, after Chapter 12. This particular Honk Honk woman is hidden in a wide back alley near the north area of the map.
For the price of 50,000 yen, this NPC will increase Ichiban's Passion, Charisma, and Confidence by 10 points each. Increasing Ichiban's stats is necessary in order to gain access to other elements of the game, such as job roles, romantic partners, and more.
3 Secret Shop: Mangekyo
The next secret shop is Mangekyo, which specializes in selling weapons. It can be found in the Bar District, close to Survive Bar, but once again players will need to have a Foreman in their party to take advantage of their Demolish ability in order to access the shop.
Players need to head up the stairs and along the balcony to find this store. While the items on offer in Mangekyo aren't as good as the other secret shops, it's still worth visiting.
2 Honk Honk NPC #5
The last Honk Honk NPC is found in Kamurocho, an area that players don't have access to for a large part of the game, so this is likely to be one of the last Honk Honk NPCs that players will get. Once all five have been interacted with, players will earn the "Honk-Honk Hero" achievement/trophy.
The Honk Honk Princess is hidden in a back alley near Akaushimaru, in the Hotel District. For the price of 30,000 yen, she will increase Ichiban's Intellect, Style, and Charisma by 10 points each.
1 Kamulop's Shop
From Chapter 7 onwards, players will start finding a new kind of collectible called Tojo Clan Crests. Once this happens, there is a new secret shop that can be accessed and the NPC for it is none other than Kamulop, who players would have been introduced to earlier in the game as the mascot for Kamurocho. This shop is hidden away in the Hotel Grande Blu Marino, just between Hamakita park and Chinatown.
Players just need to head into the hotel and go through into the courtyard area to find Kamulop. After a short cutscene, players will be able to spend the Tojo Clan Crests that they have been collecting to obtain a variety of rare and useful items.