Osamu Kashiwagi is a reoccurring supporting character in the Yakuza video game series. He was the captain of the Kazama Family, a fraction of the Dojima Family which is in turn a high-ranking fraction of the Tojo Clan, the most influential yakuza in Eastern Japan. It is implied that in the past, he helped Kazama assassinate many opponents. In Yakuza and its remaster Yakuza Kiwami he continues his role as the Kazama Family's captain. After Kazama's death Kashiwagi takes his place as the second patriarch of the family. Kashiwagi often assists Kazuma Kiryu in his endeavors until Yakuza 3 where he is critically injured and is thought to be dead until it's heavily implied that he survived, fake his death and became a bartender at The Survive Bar where he is the owner. Infinite Wealth would confirm it.
He is voiced by Shunsuke Sakuya in Japanese. In the English Dub of the original 2005 Yakuza, he is voiced by John DiMaggio. In the English Dub for Like A Dragon 7 and Infinite Wealth, he is voiced by David Hayter.
Biography[]
Yakuza 0[]
After a man Kiryu beat up is pronounced dead, Akira Nishikiyama comes to see Kashiwagi for advice, fearing that due to Kiryu's association to Kazama, he will be punished by the Tojo Clan for Kiryu's actions as the death has caused inconvenience for the clan. Kiryu comes in after awhile.
Kashiwagi explains that the man died of a gun wound and that therefore Kiryu is not the killer as he does not have a gun. Kashiwagi correctly guesses that Kiryu was approached by Daisaku Kuze, a lieutenant of the Dojima Family and was asked by him to spy on Kazama and leak information to him. Kashiwagi concludes that Kuze is the one who murdered the man and has framed Kiryu to try and get Kazama to be expelled from his position as captain of the Dojima Family and replace him.
When Kiryu decides to leave the Dojima Family to postphone the struggle the murder will cause for it and use that time to try and prove his innocence, Kashiwagi responds aggressively believing it to be a horrible idea. Kiryu states that even if Kazama told him not to do it he would, which gets Kashiwagi to violently assault Kiryu. Kiryu then leaves with Nishiki to go to the Dojima Family HQ and end his oath.
Kashiwagi and the Kazama Family take part in the Dojima Family's manhunt of Kiryu, to abduct him and torture him into confessing Tetsu Tachibana's location. However it is most likely his participation was reluctant and that he was forced into it.
After Goro Majima invades the Kazama Family HQ, Kashiwagi takes him to a nearby building and attempts to kill him. Majima however wins the fight and knocks Kashiwagi out.
Kashiwagi does not appear for the rest of the game until Kiryu and Nishiki board the Nikkyo Consortium's ship to save Makoto Makimura. When they arrive at the dock they are confronted by members of the Shibusawa Family and Kashiwagi arrives in a truck, with the Kazama Family members to hold them off enabling Kiryu and Nishiki to go onto the ship.
Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami[]
Kashiwagi is first seen informing Nishiki that Kazama has decided to give him his own family to be a part of the Kazama Family.
When one of Nishiki's underlings ends up raiding Kashiwagi's turf in Kamurocho, Kashiwagi confronts Nishiki aggressively. He comments that "this wouldn't have happened if it were Kiryu" which very much hurts Nishiki's feelings.
After Kiryu, Kazama, Haruka and Terada board a ship on the Shibuara Wharf, the ship is attacked by Shimano and his family. Kiryu defeats the members of the Shimano Family onboard the ship and escapes with the other three. The remaining members of the family and Shimano himself then prepare to attack them only for Kashiwagi to turn up with the Kazama Family. The Kazama Family and Kiryu then defeat the Shimano Family.
Yakuza 2/Yakuza Kiwami 2[]
After Shintaro Kazama's death Kashiwagi has been made the patriach of the Kazama Family. He has his own office in the Millenium Tower building.
When Ryuji Goda blows up the Millenium Tower Kashiwagi is badly injured.
When Kamurocho is under attack by the Jingweon Mafia Daigo Dojima assembles an army of Tojo Clan members to fight back the invasion. Kashiwagi gathers up the Kazama Family to join this assemblance.