Kaoru Ichinose (一ノ瀬 薫, Ichinose Kaoru) is the secondary antagonist of Judgment. He is a member of the ruling Citizens' Liberal Party,[a] and as the Vice Minister of Health, oversees the activities of the Advanced Drug Development Center.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Ichinose is a large, heavily-built man of late-middle age. He has slicked-back hair that is starting to go gray around the sides.
Attire[]
Ichinose wears a dark grey double-breasted suit and white undershirt with a red tie.
Personality[]
On the surface, Ichinose has an altruistic desire to help Alzheimer's patients, hence his promotion of AD-9. In truth, he is only concerned with securing his position in the Ministry of Health, and getting some of the profit from the drug's creation.
Ichinose also has a high sense of self-importance, repeatedly emphasizing his role in the Ministry of Health, and making direct threats to Yagami should he not comply with his demands.
Background[]
In 1998, Ichinose founded the Medical Institute, and four years later the Advanced Drug Development Center on the institute's land. He rode out the success of the Medical Institute and eventually was promoted to Vice Minister within the Ministry of Health.
Following the press conference announcing AD-9, Ichinose was left satisfied by the successful results. Eventually, Ichinose is contacted by members of the ADDC, Ryusuke Kido and Yoji Shono, who were seeking assistance from Ichinose in the murder of Toru Hashiki. Through the help of his subordinate, Ishimatsu, Ichinose was able to contact Kyohei Hamura and Mitsuru Kuroiwa. Ichinose hired the duo to assassinate Hashiki discreetly, which the two managed to pull off perfectly. Ichinose's party is left very satisfied with the results, and using funds provided by Kido, managed a further partnership with Hamura and Kuroiwa, to gather human test subjects for the experimentation of AD-9.
Involvement[]
Judgment: 2018-2019[]
Ichinose catches news of Masamichi Shintani's contact with Shono, and would easily come to the conclusion that Hamura slipped some sort of info to Shintani. He orders Hamura to pay for Shintani's assassination, and they would end up choosing Kazuya Ayabe to take the fall for the crime.
Ichinose is first seen in the lobby of the ADDC with Yoji Shono and Ryusuke Kido. He later confronts Takayuki Yagami and Issei Hoshino while the two are interrogating Shono inside the ADDC's lab wing regarding AD-9. He introduces himself, he asks them to leave the center. After Yagami refuses, Ichinose informs him that he will be filing a complaint with the Bar Association, under Minister Kazami's name regarding Yagami's behavior.
He appears later on when Yagami returns to the ADDC with Fumiya Sugiura. He once again introduces himself, reminds the two of the importance of AD-9 and the ADDC, then warns them to not return to the building. He later files a complaint to the bar association about Yagami's presence at the ADDC.
A few days later, Ichinose catches Yagami in the ADDC once again along with Fumiya Sugiura, and he again advises Yagami to leave, and threatens to call security on him. He walks away and orders head security guard Mashiko to escort the two out of the building and attack them.
Ichinose is approached by Keigo Izumida to testify in Kazuya Ayabe's trial and explains the history and effects of AD-9. Ichinose agrees to testify, however as he knows this is a trap, he conjures up a plan with Ishimatsu in order to silence the Mole in case incriminating evidence against Ichinose is found.
One month later, and the date of Ayabe's trial has arrived. After Ayabe finishes his testimony, Ichinose is called up to the stand by Izumida to testify. Ichinose gives a brief summary of the history and effects of AD-9. As expected, Yagami starts to explain Ichinose's story in finer detail, such as bringing up Masamichi Shintani's phone call to Shono, and Ichinose gets agitated and refutes all claims. Eventually Yagami brings up Ichinose and Hamura's phone call together, believing the phone call alone wouldn't be incriminating enough, he simply refutes the claim. However, Hamura himself enters the courtroom, and is able to prove the validity of the phone call. Hamura also mentions to Ichinose that Kido will be testifying next. With the situation being as dire as it is, Ichinose signals to Ishimatsu, who then phones in the killing of the Mole.
At some point following Ishimatsu's move, Ichinose is removed from the courtroom. Following Ayabe's trial, Ichinose is arrested for his involvement with AD-9.
Gallery[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Known as the Democratic Party of Japan in Yakuza 3. The name was retranslated in the localization of Yakuza: Like a Dragon.