Substories

By Scott White , Axel Bosso , Eddie De Santiago

Updated: Mar 10, 2023 1:22pm UTC

One of the defining aspects of SEGA's Like a Dragon/Yakuza games is the plethora of side stories that can be discovered outside of the main questline. Ishin! Like a Dragon is no different, with 72 substories that can range from fighting bears to laying a family dog to rest under a cherry blossom tree.

Substories become available as you progress through Ishin's 15 chapters, with some stories needing to be completed before others in the series become available. These stories can be triggered by speaking to townsfolk you stumble on while running around Kyo or happen suddenly when cutscenes occur, making tracking all of them down an adventure all of its own!

Rewards from these substories range from rare items, Virtue, unlocking minigames, or even one of Ishin's equally numerous friendship bonds, which can grant additional boons!

These guides will provide you with all the needed info to tackle anything Ishin throws at you and get the best results in all of the game's substory missions!

Regions:

Fushimi

Substory	Availability	Location	Reward
Substory 37 - Death of the Author	Chapter 5	Shinmachin (Teraday Inn - 2nd Floor)	Compass, Fine Silk Fabric, Charming Doll, Virtue
Substory 38 - Precious Packages	Chapter 7, Completed Substory 71	Kuramachi	Great Serpent Skin, Virtue
Substory 39 - A Clean Streak	Chapter 3	Yashikimachi	Crystle
Substory 40 - A Man and His Sack	Chapter 3	Yashikimachi	Virtue
Substory 41 -All in the Hips	Chapter 2	Fushimi Ichigangai	10% off, Ramen minigame, Virtue
Substory 42 - Invasion of the Black Ships	Chapter 7	South Fushimi Ichibangai	Precise Machinery
Substory 43 - It's a Long Story	Chapter 2	South Yashikimachi	Gold Seal, Virtue
Substory 44 - It's a Long Story Final Chapter	Chapter 2 , Completed Substory 43	South Yashikimachi	Tear of the Dragon, Virtue
Substory 45 - It's a Long Story Epilogue	Chapter 2 , Completed Substory 44	South Yashikimachi	Golden Medicine Case, Virtue
Substory 46 - Scented Water	Chapter 5	Shinmachi	3 ryo, Virtue
Substory 47 - Ee Ja Nai Ka	Chapter 2	North Yashikimachi	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 48 - The Way of the Sammerai	Chapter 7	Yashikimachi	Virtue
Substory 49 - The Last Stand of the Panthers	Chapter 5, Completed Substory 24	Shinmachi	Great Serpent Skin
Substory 50 - The Desperate Fisherman	Chapter 2	Shinmachi	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 51 - The Junk Boy	Chapter 2	Kuramachi	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 52 - The Wood Cutter	Chapter 2	South Yashikimachi	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 53 - The Frequently Lost Courier	Chapter 3	Shinmachi	Friendship bond, Courier's Parcel, Virtue
Substory 54 - The Patient Dog	Chapter 5	Yashikimachi	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 55 - The Filthy Cat	Chapter 7	South Yashikimachi	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 70 - The Captain and the Curious	Chapter 5	Fushimi Ichibangai	Writings of an Amateur Historian memoir, Virtue
Substory 71 - Diplomacy in Darkness	Chapter 7, Completed Substory 70, Memoir completion between 86 and 92%	Fushimi Ichibangai	Virtue
Substory 72 - A Lasting Thirst for Peace	Post Game, Completed Substory 71, Memoir completion at 96%	Fushimi Ichibangai	Kiwami Hammer, A Letter from the Right Honorable Sir E. Satow memoir, Virtue

Rakunai

Substory	Availability	Location	Reward
Substory 1 - Nichibuzza's Newest Fan	Chapter 3	Kawaramachi	Unlock Buyo dancing minigame, Virtue
Substory 2 - Deceitful Deity	Chapter 3	Karasuma Street	Virtue
Substory 3 -Who's Entertaining Who	Chapter 3	Sannocho (in Rakugai)	Ancient Amulet, Virtue
Substory 4 - I'll Miss You, Miho	Chapter 4	Kawaramachi	Rainbow Fabric, Virtue
Substory 5 - Talkin' Tosa	Chapter 3	Kawaramachi	Fine Silk, Platinum Chunk, Phoenix Feather
Substory 6 - The Mochi Mystery	Chapter 3	Shinmeicho	Godslayer's Talisman, Virtue
Substory 7 - Ee Ja Nai for Justice	Chapter 3, Completed Substory 47 - Ee Ja Nai Ka	South Karasuma Street	Tranquil Towel, Virtue
Substory 8 - The Unwilling Courier	Chapter 5	Shijo Bridge	Gold Seal, Virtue
Substory 9 - Enter the Black Panther Couriers	Chapter 5, Completed Substory 8 - The Unwilling Courier	Shijo Bridge	Virtue
Substory 10 - The Panthers' Leading Man	Chapter 5, Completed Substory 9: Enter the Black Panther Couriers	Teramachi Street	Virtue
Substory 11 - Global Fraud	Chapter 3	Teramachi	European Fabric, Virtue
Substory 12 - The Hungry Sumo Wrestler	Chapter 5	South Teramachi Street	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 13 - The Lover-Starved Husband	Chapter 4	Teramachi	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 14 - The Oblivious Woman	Chapter 4	Karasuma Street	Friendship bond, Vitality Pill, Virtue
Substory 16 - The Barking Dog	Chapter 5	Teramachi	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 17 - The Lucky Cat	Chapter 4	Karasuma Street	Friendship bond
Substory 67 - The Spitfire Debt Collector	Chapter 4, Complete Substory 69: The Spitfire Town Protector	North Umekojicho	3 ryo
Substory 68 - The Spitfire Lie Detector	Chapter 5, Completed Substory 67 - The Spitfire Debt Collector	North Umekojicho	3 ryo, Virtue

Rakugai

Substory	Availability	Location	Reward
Substory 15 - The Injured Grandma	Chapter 3	Teramachi	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 18 - The Reclusive Son	Chapter 3	East Umekojicho	Iron Gauntlets, Rainbow Shard, Virtue
Substory 19 - Palanquin Paladin	Chapter 6	Umekojicho	Crimson Bead, Virtue
Substory 20 - Can I Quote You On That?	Chapter 7	East Umekojicho	Eye of the Dragon, Virtue
Substory 21 - Sonno Joi	Chapter 3	North Umekojicho	Virtue
Substory 22 - Ee Ja Not Ka	Chapter 3, Completed Substory 7 - Ee Ja Nai for Justice	East Omekojicho	Vermillion Fabric, Virtue
Substory 23 - Bluffin Up the Wrong Alley	Chapter 6	Sannocho	Virtue
Substory 24 - The Panthers' Playmaker	Chapter 5, Completed Substory 10 - The Panthers' Leading Man	Sannocho	Virtue
Substory 25 - The Sword Nut	Chapter 3	Sannocho	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 26 - The Battered Defender	Chapter 5	South Umekojicho	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 27 - The Mysterious Merchant	Chapter 7	West Umekojicho	Friendship bond, 2 ryo
Substory 28 - The Hungry Cat	Chapter 5	East Umekojicho	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 69 - The Spitfire Town Protector	Chapter 4	Umekojicho	3 ryo, Virtue

Mukurogai

Substory	Availability	Location	Reward
Substory 29 - The Bad Side of Town	Chapter 5	Mukurogai - 1st floor	Virtue
Substory 30 - Brawler for Hire	Chapter 5	Mukurogai - 1st floor	Virtue
Substory 31 - Brawler Incarnate	Chapter 7, Completed Substory 30 - Brawler for Hire	Mukurogai - 1st floor	Virtue
Substory 32 - Brawler Enlightened	Chapter 10, Completed Substory 31 - Brawler Incarnate	Mukurogai - 1st floor	Berserker Charm
Substory 33 - Night of the Living Rumor (also known as Fallen Warrior's Ghost in your Substory list)	Chapter 7	Mukurogai - 1st floor	Nishikigoi Amulet, Virtue
Substory 34 - The Servile Begger	Chapter 5	Mukurogai - 1st floor	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 35 - The Trash Dealer	Chapter 7	Mukurogai - 1st floor	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 36 - The Injured Dog	Chapter 5	Mukurogai - 1st floor	Friendship bond, Virtue

Gion

Substory	Availability	Location	Reward
Substory 56 -Finders Weepers	Chapter 5	Gion	Virtue
Substory 57 - Soft and Supple	Chapter 5	Gion	3 ryo, Virtue
Substory 58 - The Revolutionary Chef	Chapter 5	Gion	Friendship bond, Virtue
Substory 59 - The Sexy Madam	Chapter 5	Gion	Friendship bond, Vitality Pill, Virtue

Other

Substory	Availability	Location	Reward
Substory 60 - It's What's On the Inside	Chapter 5	Mibu	Gion Hood, Virtue
Substorry 61 - Hope Blossoms Again	Chapter 5	Mibu	Double Worship Talisman
Substory 62 - A Warlord's Ambition	Complete "Cookbook Curious" by cooking 10 times	Villa	Dragon Whisker
Substory 63 - The Boy Who Cried Bear	Chapter 5	Mibu	Inviting Hat, Virtue
Substory 64 - Mama Ryoma	Chapter 5	Mibu	Virtue
Substory 65 - The Amnesiac	Chapter 4	On the route to Kiyomizu	Friendship bond, Dead Branch
Substory 66 - The Boy Who Loves Veggies	Chapter 5	Mibu	Friendship bond, Virtue