Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sega were under huge pressure from fans to recast the character in Yakuza Kiwami 3.
One of the game's main antagonists, Goh Hamazaki, was recast for Kiwami 3, with RGG Studio replacing original actor George Takahashi with Teruyuki Kagawa. A prominent Japanese actor lends both his voice and appearance to Hamazaki, with a new look for the “Emperor of Hama” revealed in a new trailer focusing on the Japanese voice cast.
However, Kagawa was accused of forcibly touching a woman in 2019, with the story reported by Japanese media in 2022. A month after the first report, Kagawa pleaded guilty to sexual abuse.
According to Shukan magazine, Shincho Kagawa in 2019 forcibly touched the breasts of a woman working at the club before kissing her, removing her bra and handing it to others. Kagawa's subsequent guilty plea was not specific.
Silence from Sega
Since the September reveal, fans have been calling for Sega to remove Kagawa from Kiwami 3. The slogan '#REMOVEKAGAWA' became a constant in the comments section of every promotional piece for the game, with both Japanese and international fans taking up the cause.
However, Kagawa's prominent appearance in the recent Yakuza Kiwami 3 trailer shows that Sega and RGG Studio are not involved in the campaign. The comments section of the trailer is full of criticism of the publisher and developer.
With Kiwami 3 due out in February, removing Kagawa entirely would be a tall order for RGG Studio. However, criticism is likely to intensify as the release date approaches. There's always the chance that the pair of companies will ignore the controversy entirely and let it die while hoping it won't have a noticeable impact on sales.
On the English side, Yong Yea and Matthew Mercer will reprise their roles as Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. Yakuza Kiwami 3 will come with Dark Ties, a complete side game featuring Yoshitaka Mine.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties will be released on February 12, 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
