A current real-life real estate dispute in New York City is shockingly similar to the plot of Yakuza 0, much to the amusement of Like a Dragon fans. This game is a prequel in the long-running franchise, where it not only helped grow its popularity outside of Japan to an astounding degree, but also has one of the most beloved stories in the fandom. The crux of Yakuza 0's story revolves around a seemingly irrelevant piece of land where a murder occurs, forcing a young Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima to seek out answers.Incidentally, this exact same conflict seems to be happening in real life. First reported on by The New York Times, former governor of New York, Eliot Spritzer, is embroiled in a lawsuit. The main source of conflict in this lawsuit, of all things, is a tiny 350-square-foot plot of land. This pits the residents of 980 Fifth Avenue against Spritzer, where the latter owns an adjacent rental tower. If Spritzer owns the plot of land, he can demolish a nearby building and put in a high-end condo tower in its place. Like a Dragon fans who saw this story immediately noted how similar to the conflict of Yakuza 0.The Empty Lot in Yakuza 0 mirrors the plot of land that Spritzer is fighting for, as it is trapped in-between a set of buildings and is vital to the Tojo Clan's "Kamurocho Revitalization Project." As a result, multiple parties fight to gain control of the property, where the owner gains full control of the project and its riches. Once Yakuza 0 fans realized how similar the New York real estate dispute was to the game, they all had a field day.
This resulted in several memes and jokes being made, with some stating that life can indeed imitate art. Others noted that the picture of the lot in question was very similar to Yakuza 0's own picture of the Empty Lot, which only adds to the comparisons. A lot of fans joked that the Like a Dragon series was finally becoming "real" and should expect the same plot twists and revelations from Yakuza 0 to be coming up as the real-life Spritzer case unfolds.
In-universe, Yakuza 0 sees the Empty Lot being bought, resulting in the Kamurocho Revitalization Project proceeding as planned, though under new management. In its place, the Millennium Tower is built over the Empty Lot, which is an iconic location that has appeared in many Like a Dragon games. While it's too early to tell how the real-life dispute will unfold, it's unlikely to feature murder, assassins, and former mafia-turned-real estate agents fighting in the streets of New York to control this property.
Yakuza 0 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Reddit