Like a Dragon to hold exhibition dedicated to dead characters

The Japanese department store Parco is holding an exhibition in collaboration with the Like a Dragon series, which is themed around some of its most notable dead characters.

The exhibition will first be held at Parco Factory, a gallery at the Parco store in Ikebukuro, Tokyo from 30th December to 15th January, 2024. It’ll feature series protagonists Kiryu, Ichiban, and Majima, as well as the noble “fallen men” who they’ve encountered over the years.

The exhibition will be laid out as a memorial space, with pictures of the dead characters and their last words put up onto the walls. Visitors will be given flowers to place at the portrait of their favourite dead character, before arriving at a cenotaph with an AR “gimmick” which sounds like the character will appear on your phone.

If this wasn’t bizarre enough, then there’ll be exclusive merchandise at the exhibition ranging from T-shirts and tote bags with the exhibition’s main art printed on them, to an acrylic stand designed like a mortuary tablet and sets of incense sticks created in collaboration with Shoyeido, a famous incense shop in Kyoto which was founded 300 years ago.

If that doesn’t take your fancy, you can also buy a black-and-white portrait photograph of the dead characters in the style of one which might be used in a wake. Portraits of Kiryu, Ichiban and Majima will also be for sale, but in colour. There’ll also be some tear-shaped metal pin badges of all the featured characters beaten and bloodied up.

Entry to the exhibition costs 700 yen (just under £4), and is free for children of elementary school age and younger. After its stay at Ikebukuro, the exhibition will be held at Parco’s Nagoya branch from 20th January to 4th February, and then Sapporo Parco from 16th to 25th February.

The exhibition coincides with the release of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the eighth mainline game in the series, on 26th January 2024. It’ll have a wealth of content, including a substantial Animal Crossing-like side mode, that Alan Wen described as “infinite generosity of heart and activities” in his Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth preview from Tokyo Game Show in September.