Template:Character infobox
Kaoru Sayama is a character in Yakuza 2 (and its remake), and Yakuza 3. She is the lead detective of the Osakan police's Division Four.
Personality
Initially, Kaoru shows hostility towards Kiryu, but over the course of the game, she warms up to him to the point of later developing strong romantic feelings towards him.
She believes that to survive in the police force as a woman, she must build a tough outer shell, and appears to be highly competitive in her field.
Appearance
Kaoru wears her black hair in a messy, low bun, and wears a dark grey pantsuit over a white blouse. She has a beauty mark below her lip and wears a silver chain necklace with an amethyst pendant.
Biography
Kaoru is the daughter of Jiro Kawara and Shoko Kawara, later raised by the owner of snack bar Aoi, Tamiyo Sayama.
The Florist recounts that Kaoru passed her public service exam while still attending tech college at 20 years old, and joined the Osaka Prefectural Police's high tech crime unit under the Foreign Affairs' Division as an engineer under state's recommendation. During her career, she broke a record by getting promoted to assistant inspector in just four years, before receiving a transfer to the prefectural police's fourth division and promoted to lead detective.
Yakuza 2/Yakuza Kiwami 2
She is initially ordered to take Kiryu into protective custody, during which she can follow the Tojo Clan's activities. The two end up becoming temporary allies and form an unexpected friendship.
During the course of the game, she begins to develop romantic feelings towards Kiryu. She believes she may be a Jingweon survivor, but eventually discovers she is really the child of the Jingweon boss' wife and Jiro Kawara, also making her Ryuji's half-sister.
She and Kiryu have a falling out after her discovery of Kiryu's involvement in the Jungweon massacre - resulting in the death of her father - but reconnect again shortly after.
Yakuza 3
Kaoru meets Kazuma Kiryu and Haruka Sawamura at the graveyard.
At the start of Yakuza 3, Kaoru meets Kiryu at the graveyard and tells him that she'll be leaving Japan in order to join a training program for the Metropolitan Poliice based in America. She suggests that she and Kiryu should follow their own paths for the next few years, but tells Kiryu that she'll be back to Japan one day.
While she plays no further role in the game, completing special tasks will prompt a text message from Sayama to come through on Kiryu's phone.
Checking her character profile at different points throughout the game reveal the following lines:
- "Refused invitation to dinner by handsome American cop."
- "Rushing out to buy outfit after invitation to dinner by handsome American cop."
- "Eating at fancy restaurant after invitation to dinner by handsome American cop."
Fighting style
Kaoru's fighting style appears to be based on standard police combat. She has a team heat action with Kiryu, which she lands a punch at an enemy and followed by both landing a high kick at said enemy.
Trivia
- Kaoru's nickname was changed from "The Yakuza Eater" in Yakuza 2 to "The Yakuza Huntress" in Yakuza Kiwami 2.
- Ryuji mentions that Kaoru bears a strong resemblance to their mother.
- Kiryu has a framed picture of Kaoru in his room that can be seen on his desk in Yakuza 3.
