Like a Dragon: Prologue (2006) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Kiryu takes responsibility to protect Nishikiyama and Yuko. Nishikiyama killed Dojima to save Yumi from being raped, but if Nishikiyama was arrested, his sister Yuko, who desperately needs a heart operation, would have no one to pay for her treatment. By confessing to the murder, Kiryu ensures Nishikiyama stays free to care for Yuko, while Kiryu accepts a ten-year prison sentence.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Kazama explains that he raises orphans whose parents he killed to earn their loyalty, Kiryu mirrors this by sacrificing his freedom for those he loves.

• kiryu
• dojima murder
• nishikiyama
• yuko
• prison sentence
• sacrifice

Nishikiyama kills Dojima after discovering him raping Yumi in his office. Dojima had kidnapped Yumi from Serena earlier that night, and when Nishikiyama finally reached the chairman's office, he witnessed the assault. Overcome with rage, Nishikiyama shoots Dojima dead.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Dojima as a ruthless figure who operates outside honor, shown when he Kidnaps Yumi without regard for the consequences.

• nishikiyama
• dojima
• yumi
• rape
• killing
• murder

Yumi leaves the orphanage in 1990 to gain independence while staying connected to Kiryu and Nishikiyama. She chooses to work as a hostess at Reina's high-class bar Serena in Kamurocho's red-light district because it allows her to be close to both men, who frequently visit the establishment.

Foreshadowing: The trio's childhood bond is built on Yumi viewing both men as her older brothers, creating complicated feelings that drive her decision to stay near them.

• yumi
• serena
• kamurocho
• hostess
• reina

Kazama secretly runs the orphanage for children whose parents he killed during his yakuza work. Following yakuza tradition, he raises these orphans to earn their loyalty rather than eliminating witnesses. The children, unaware of his role in their parents' deaths, love him as a father figure.

Foreshadowing: Yumi's parents were accidentally shot during a gang shootout, a detail that later connects her to Kazama's pattern of causing orphaning.

• kazama
• sunflower orphanage
• orphans
• yakuza

Yumi escapes from the hospital and returns to the Sunflower Orphanage because it is the only place where she feels safe. The orphanage has closed and fallen into ruins by 1995, but it represents her only remaining connection to her childhood and the family she lost. Her traumatic flashback to her parents' murder during the car ride intensifies her need to return to this sanctuary.

Foreshadowing: The orphanage was established as a place of safety for all the children, and Yumi's arrival there in 1980 marked a new beginning, her return signifies her search for that same safety.

• yumi
• sunflower orphanage
• ruins
• trauma
• hospital escape

Kiryu earns the nickname 'Dragon of Dojima' because of the large dragon irezumi tattoo covering his back. The dragon tattoo becomes his defining visual identity within the yakuza world, symbolizing his strength and rising status within the Dojima Family.

Foreshadowing: The dragon tattoo is first shown during his induction into the Dojima Family, marking his transition from orphan to yakuza member.

• dragon tattoo
• irezumi
• kiryu nickname
• dojima family

Nishikiyama feels jealous because Kazama always favored Kiryu as his protégé, making Nishikiyama feel secondary despite their equal footing as childhood friends. This jealousy intensifies as Kiryu rapidly rises through the yakuza ranks while Nishikiyama remains in his shadow. Their rivalry is complicated further by their shared feelings for Yumi.

Foreshadowing: Kazama inducts both boys into the Dojima Family together, but Kiryu's dragon tattoo and subsequent nickname signal his special status.

• nishikiyama
• kiryu
• rivalry
• jealousy
• kazama
• favorites

While being taken to the hospital, Yumi experiences a traumatic flashback to her parents' murder. Seeing them killed during a gang shootout as a child, she panics and tries to jump from the moving car. Nishikiyama manages to calm her down, but she later escapes from the hospital entirely.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Yumi's parents died in a gang shootout, her traumatic reaction connects directly to this past violence.

• yumi
• flashback
• car
• jump
• hospital
• trauma
• parents murder

On October 1, 1995, Kiryu announces he is ready to form his own yakuza family, seeking Chairman Dojima's approval. This represents his natural progression within the yakuza hierarchy, he has risen quickly through the ranks and wants to establish himself as a leader. However, his declaration triggers the chain of events that leads to Dojima's murder and Kiryu's imprisonment.

Foreshadowing: Kiryu's rise through the Dojima ranks was established earlier in the film, setting up his desire for greater autonomy.

• kiryu
• own family
• dojima
• announcement
• 1995

Yuko Nishikiyama needs a desperately needed heart operation, and her brother Nishikiyama is the only family she has to pay for it. This is why Kiryu specifically chooses to take the blame for Dojima's murder, to ensure Nishikiyama remains free to care for Yuko and afford her life-saving surgery. Kiryu's sacrifice directly protects Yuko's future.

Foreshadowing: Yuko's health condition is mentioned when Kiryu decides to confess, making her a key motivation for his decision.

• yuko
• nishikiyama
• heart operation
• brother
• surgery
• kiryu sacrifice