Kenji Kasen

Background

Kenji Kasen is the co-leader of the Yakuza in Grand Theft Auto III and Asuka Kasen's brother. He is the Yakuza's waka-gashira (second-in-command) and runs Kenji's Casino in Torrington, Staunton Island.

Kenji is proud of his casino, which he sees as a symbol of the Yakuza's success, and he is fiercely protective of the organisation's honour. He often lectures Claude about the importance of respect and tradition.

Events of GTA III

Asuka introduces Claude to Kenji in Under Surveillance. Kenji then gives Claude his own work.

In Kanbu Bust-out, Claude frees a senior Yakuza member by blowing open the police station cell wall with a car bomb. In Grand Theft Auto, Kenji has Claude steal a Stinger, a Cheetah and an Infernus to pay off a debt. In Deal Steal, Claude ambushes a deal between the Cartel and the Yardies to frame the Yardies. In Shima, he collects protection money and fights the Diablos who robbed a Yakuza-protected supermarket. In Smack Down, Kenji sends Claude to kill Yardie SPANK dealers.

Kenji's death comes in Waka-Gashira Wipeout!, when Donald Love has Claude run him over with a Cartel Cruiser to start a war between the Yakuza and the Cartel.

Kenji's missions focus on money and reputation: freeing a senior member, paying a debt with stolen sports cars, setting the Yardies against the Cartel and protecting Yakuza businesses. His death at Claude's hands is never discovered by the Yakuza, who blame the Cartel and go to war with them.

Personality

Kenji is proud, talkative and full of Yakuza honour, yet hot-tempered when insulted. He enjoys his wealth and the status of his casino.

He is quick to anger when the Yakuza's honour is insulted, as Smack Down shows, and he speaks of loyalty as the most important value.

Relationships

• Asuka Kasen: his sister.
• Claude: his employee, who later kills him.
• The Colombian Cartel and the Yardies: his enemies.

• Kanbu: the senior Yakuza member Kenji has Claude break out of police custody.
• Donald Love: the man who, unknown to Kenji, arranges his death.

Trivia

• Kenji is voiced by Les J.N. Mau.

• His title in the mission name Waka-Gashira Wipeout! refers to his rank as the Yakuza's second-in-command.
• Kenji's Casino in Torrington is the starting point for all of his missions, and the Yakuza Stingers parked around it are targets in the RC challenge Casino Calamity.