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Sohei Dojima kneeling in Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1
Category:
Movies & TV

Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1: What Is a Hanko?

Image of Leon Miller
Leon Miller
|

Published: Oct 24, 2024 11:00 am

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1.

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The first three episodes of Like a Dragon: Yakuza‘s debut season see Kazuma Kiryu, Akira Nishikiyama, and other Kamurochō underworld types on the hunt for a hanko. But what exactly is a hanko, and why is everyone after one in Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1?

What Is a Hanko in Like a Dragon: Yakuza?

A close-up of the hanko in Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1

Like a Dragon: Yakuza‘s hanko becomes a big deal in Season 1, Episode 2, “Ambition / Desire.” Here, we learn that Dojima Family patriarch Sohei Dojima needs both the hanko and a deed belonging to American businessman Edgar Beale to make his Millennium Tower project a reality. This triggers a mad scramble to track down both items, with the Florist of Sai ultimately beating Kiryu and Nishiki to the hanko (earning his moniker in the process).

Related: What Yakuza Game Is Prime Video’s Like a Dragon Season 1 Based On?

It’s all very exciting, but the trade-off is that we don’t actually get an explanation of what a hanko is and why it matters. So, here’s the deal. A hanko is an officially registered, unique seal used for conducting business – including land purchases – in Japan. That’s why Dojima wants Beale’s hanko: before he can legally take control of the Millennium Tower lot, he needs the hanko to stamp the relevant documents.

We actually get a brief glimpse of the hanko seal in Episode 3, “Brothers / Sisters.” Encased in a silver chess piece, it boasts a highly ornate design. Even the taciturn Dojima is impressed, admitting he’s never seen a hanko like Beale’s before. Yet Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1’s hanko still functions the same as any other. It’s simply a tool for completing paperwork.

Related: All Yakuza Games, Ranked from Worst to Best

But then, given the paperwork in Like a Dragon: Yakuza is directly tied to organized crime, this hanko is decidedly less pedestrian than most!

Like a Dragon: Yakuza Season 1 Episodes 1-3 are currently streaming on Prime Video. Episodes 4-6 premiere on Nov. 1, 2024.

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Like A Dragon: Yakuza
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Image of Leon Miller
Leon Miller
Leon is a freelance contributor at The Escapist, covering movies, TV, video games, and comics. Active in the industry since 2016, Leon's previous by-lines include articles for Polygon, Popverse, Screen Rant, CBR, Dexerto, Cultured Vultures, PanelxPanel, Taste of Cinema, and more.