On the Wii U you can get a thing called Google Street View U or whatever. It’s a neat way of visiting places and looking around that takes advantage of the Wii U gamepad.
I decided to check out Kabukichō, which Wikipedia tells me is the sub-subdistrict of Tokyo after which the area in Yakuza was modeled. Let me tell you, it is difficult to find landmarks on a map when you can’t really read the language the street names are written in, and also the landmarks you’re looking for may or may not have ever existed. Nonetheless, I did manage to find this Don Quijote store in the same place it is in the game. A bunch of other streets are recognizable, too, and the general character of the neighborhood seems to be intact. Want to go hang out in a private room in a very small bar? Play arcade games? Something involving female nudity? Kabukichō’s got you covered.
Things missing from the real-life Kabukichō:
- Labyrinthine alleys and hidden-away parks, ideal for a small-scale mob war
- The huge, glitzy skyscraper in the center of things
- The big slot machine casino seems to be a hospital. A hospital?!
- The homeless people’s tent city, and presumably also the literal underground casino & MMA club
- Uppity punks every 15 feet who couldn’t be more eager to fight you but will apologize and give you $20 or so after you cave in their face with a bicycle
Great idea for the Google street view app on the WiiU!