From its birth in 2005 to its current status as national title, the Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series continues to expand its fanbase.
Mr. Masayoshi Yokoyama has worked on every title in the series. What is his intent with this new collaboration?

― Mr. Yokoyama, you’ve contributed to every title in the Like a Dragon series since its start in 2005. Where does the fun come from in this series, which has been supported by fans for such a long time?

To start off, I personally feel that the way we enjoy games and fashion is very similar.

In games as a product, there cannot be objects shown on screen by chance, or events that occur by happenstance.
Every element that exists on the screen has been calculated and produced by a creator.
Our work has often been praised as having great stories or characters, but in truth there is not much freedom.
In my mind, “great clothes”, much like video games, are created meticulously with uncompromising attention to detail by every person involved in their design and production.

So how do users enjoy these products, which do not leave even the slightest gap?

I think one of the answers is in the “experience”.

Within the crafted fictional world we call a game, users move freely within the city and “experience” many things by embodying “Kiryu Kazuma” or “Kasuga Ichiban”.
I think this is the same way that we enjoy fashion. That is, you “enjoy a myriad of experiences” by dressing yourself in aspirational clothes, being reborn anew as the character that is “you”.

A clearly defined concept and firm worldview. You can enjoy this as a real experience as well.
I think the true draw of Like a Dragon is the ability to enjoy another life, the same way we are able to enjoy fashion.

― Can you offer us any insights into what makes the world of Like a Dragon so captivating both in the game and outside of it? As well, please tell us about why you chose WILDSIDE YOHJI YAMAMOTO as a collaboration partner for it.

In the world of live action movies and other film media, you can layer both cast and character to become fans of both. In the realm of video games or animation, however, no matter how much you love a character, there is no person in the real world to aim your heightened passions towards.

But fandom means you want to always feel that world or its presence.

In order to meet the demands of our fans, we at Like a Dragon have produced a variety of merchandise and held events for fans to interact with the cast and production team.
Through it all, I have always wanted to create “something that can be felt directly on the skin” equally by the cast, the creators, and our fans.
Creating clothes through our collaboration is the method by which this is made a reality.

The designs are not simply illustrations of popular characters or logo designs. These are clothes you “want to be together with” while feeling the presence of Like a Dragon, in many different situations in your life.
I wanted to create a sort of partner, with whom everyone involved in Like a Dragon could share the same sensations, for example exquisite texture and perfect fit.

To turn that ideal into reality, collaborating with WILDSIDE YOHJI YAMAMOTO was necessary. This was because of their design sensibility, able to take the intense setting of Like a Dragon and translate it into both the “ordinary” and “extraordinary”, as well as their exceptional skill.

The tattoo of the character that served as the motif for the second collaboration item

― Part 2 of the WILDSIDE x Ryu ga Gotoku Studio Collaboration that first launched in October is nearly out. It has turned out to be an extremely unique product lineup that has no other example.
Is there an item in particular that you like, and could you tell us about it?

If you think of the 1st collaboration as “daily life spent alongside Like a Dragon”, then in my mind, this 2nd collaboration a lineup where you can enjoy “the space between the ordinary and extraordinary”, diving into the depths of the mysterious glamor of the series.

My favorite item in the lineup is the WILDSIDE x RYU GA GOTOKU STUDIO “ORYU” JACKET.

Its appearance is that of a classic 2B jacket.
But if you look at it from a different angle, a dragon who gives off an unnatural attractiveness shows its face.

I feel that this is a product that truly expresses the “allure of both good and evil” that a grown man who has lived through a myriad of experiences.

― As the Head of Ryu ga Gotoku Studio, please tell us about the future of the studio.

There is too much I can’t talk about regarding our new projects, but I think at the very least, Ryu ga Gotoku Studio won’t stand still.

I work towards a future where the existence of Like a Dragon is a common language for not only every person who loves games, but those who enjoy fashion as well.
This is why I hope to keep walking together with WILDSIDE YOHJI YAMAMOTO as our indispensable partner.

― Please send a message to WILDSIDE users who are about to pick up a Like a Dragon collaboration item.

We often hear, especially from our gaming users, that they “want to become someone who can wear this type of clothing”.
However, clothes aren’t something that you become able to wear with time or experience.
To dress yourself in the clothes you aspire to by itself is, I think, the first step in growing closer to the future self you aspire to become.

I want to be like this. I want to be like that.Perhaps clothes as an item are the first step you can take to create your own individuality.

Won’t you share together with us the world that Like a Dragon and WILDSIDE have built?