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Genzo Iwaki is the big boss of Kure in Stranger Than Heaven, head of the Iwaki Family that Makoto Daito joins in 1929. He is portrayed by the late actor Bunta Sugawara, made in CG from archival footage with his family's consent and Toei's materials, and voiced by Takashi Ukaji.
Genzo Iwaki is "the big boss of Kure, with unmatched influence" in Stranger Than Heaven (SEGA, Sep 25, 2026), and he is portrayed by the late Bunta Sugawara, whose classic yakuza films Toei produced, who died in 2014. SEGA received formal consent from Sugawara's family, and RGG Studio built his CG character from archival footage and photographs, with materials from Toei Company; Takashi Ukaji, who was close to Sugawara, voices him (Bleeding Cool, Sep 19, 2026). Iwaki heads the Iwaki Family, Hiroshima's strongest organization, which Makoto Daito joins in Kure 1929 to become the "Red Oni." The clip is the trailer RGG Studio made with Toei, whose credits name Bunta Sugawara over his CG character.
Quick facts
| Portrayed by | The late Bunta Sugawara (CG) |
| Voiced by | Takashi Ukaji |
| Who he is | Grand boss of Kure, head of the Iwaki Family |
| Era | 1929, Kure, Hiroshima |
| Right-hand man | Tetsuya Hama (Yasukaze Motomiya) |
| Trailer | Battles Without Honor and Humanity-styled trailer, TGS 2026 |
Sources: SEGA: cast page; Bleeding Cool, Sep 19, 2026; Xbox Wire, May 6, 2026.
Who is Genzo Iwaki?
Iwaki rules Kure, a port town with a naval arsenal and yakuza influence (SEGA on Steam, Oct 1, 2026). When Makoto joins his family, he earns the name Red Oni, "a name to be respected and feared among the families" (Xbox Wire). His right-hand man is the young yakuza Tetsuya Hama. SEGA has not shown more of Iwaki's story as of Nov 3, 2026. See Characters and Cast. The clip is SEGA's Kure In-Depth Look, on the city's winter streets and the navy's presence.
How is Bunta Sugawara in the game?
As a CG character, not a performance. SEGA's May 7, 2026 release said the late and legendary actor appears with his family's consent, designed from archival footage and photographs, with Ukaji performing the voice (SEGA). Toei, which produced many of Sugawara's films, including the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series, provided materials. Producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto told PCGamesN that "no AI whatsoever" was involved in recreating Tupac (PCGamesN, Sep 4, 2026), the same approach as Tupac's Amaru.
Ukaji has a second role: he also portrays Tadashi Hataoka, a swaggering, violent Kokura yakuza (SEGA cast page).
The Battles Without Honor and Humanity trailer
During Tokyo Game Show 2026, SEGA and RGG Studio teamed with Toei on a trailer themed on Battles Without Honor and Humanity, with music, styling and editing after the film series, by agreement with Toei; Bleeding Cool called it "old-school and bloody" (Bleeding Cool, Sep 19, 2026). See Music and Theme Song and Development. The clip is that trailer, opening on Toei's logo.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bunta Sugawara in Stranger Than Heaven? Yes, as Genzo Iwaki, the boss of Kure. Stranger Than Heaven recreates the late actor in CG from archival footage and photographs, with his family's consent.
Who voices Genzo Iwaki in Stranger Than Heaven? Takashi Ukaji, who was close to Sugawara. In Stranger Than Heaven Ukaji also plays the Kokura yakuza Tadashi Hataoka.
What is the Battles Without Honor and Humanity trailer? A Stranger Than Heaven trailer released at Tokyo Game Show 2026, made with Toei and styled after the yakuza film series that starred Sugawara, using the films' music.
Sources
- STRANGER THAN HEAVEN: Cast, SEGA, undated
- Stranger Than Heaven Reveals New Info On Key Characters And Show Business Theme, Worthplaying (SEGA press release), Sep 25, 2026
- Stranger Than Heaven Drops Bunta Sugawara-Inspired Film Trailer, Bleeding Cool, Sep 19, 2026
- SEGA and Xbox raise the curtain on "Stranger Than Heaven", Game Developer (SEGA press release), May 7, 2026
- 1929, Kure - An In-Depth Look, SEGA on Steam, Oct 1, 2026
- Xbox Presents: A Special Look at Stranger Than Heaven, Xbox Wire, May 6, 2026
- Stranger Than Heaven dev says it isn't using AI to bring back Tupac, PCGamesN, Sep 4, 2026
- 『STRANGER THAN HEAVEN』×『仁義なき戦い』コラボレーション発表映像, RGG Studio (official), Sep 17, 2026 (video)
- STRANGER THAN HEAVEN | 1929 Kure, Hiroshima In-Depth Look, SEGA, Sep 30, 2026 (video)
Moments
『STRANGER THAN HEAVEN』×『仁義なき戦い』コラボレーション発表映像
RGGスタジオ 公式
STRANGER THAN HEAVEN | 1929 Kure, Hiroshima In-Depth Look
SEGA
Related
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Keiko ShiraiAdo plays Keiko Shirai in Stranger Than Heaven, the diva of wartime Osaka in the 1943 Minami chapter, and both voices her and sings her era's songs. Ado is also one of the four singers on the game's theme song.
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OrpheusSnoop Dogg plays Orpheus in Stranger Than Heaven, a globe-trotting smuggler who finds Makoto Daito stowed away on a ship in 1915, takes him to Japan and spots his musical talent. Snoop Dogg also sings on the theme song, and his son Cordell Broadus plays the Veiled Stranger.
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Suzy DayTori Kelly plays Suzy Day in Stranger Than Heaven, a talented singer who dreams of making it big and whose rise in show business begins when she meets Makoto Daito in the Shizuoka segment. Kelly also co-wrote and sings the theme song.
- Takeo GodaiTakaya Kuroda, the Japanese voice of Kazuma Kiryu, plays Takeo Godai in Stranger Than Heaven, a skilled craftsman and a man of few words. Godai is a new character, not Kiryu, and his era and role had not been shown as of Nov 3, 2026.
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Yu ShinjoYu Shinjo is Makoto Daito's lifelong friend and rival in Stranger Than Heaven, a half-Japanese, half-British young man he meets on the ship to Japan in 1915. He is portrayed by Dean Fujioka.
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Like a Dragon Games in OrderThe Like a Dragon (Yakuza) games in release order, from Yakuza (2005) to Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties (2026), with the Judgment spin-offs; Stranger Than Heaven, out Jan 15, 2027, is RGG Studio's next game, set in the same world but not a numbered entry.
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Masayoshi YokoyamaMasayoshi Yokoyama is the head of RGG Studio and the executive director of Stranger Than Heaven, a longtime writer of the Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series who took over the studio in October 2021. The game's director is Mikinobu Abe.
See also
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Makoto DaitoMakoto Daito is the hero of Stranger Than Heaven, the son of an American father and a Japanese mother who flees San Francisco for Japan in 1915 and, over fifty years, becomes a yakuza known as the Red Oni and a showman. He is portrayed by Yu Shirota.
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Characters and CastStranger Than Heaven's official cast page credits 17 characters to the people who portray them, led by Yu Shirota as the hero Makoto Daito, with Dean Fujioka, Snoop Dogg, Ado, Tori Kelly, the late Bunta Sugawara in CG and Tupac as Amaru. No separate English voice cast has been published as of Nov 3, 2026.
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Tupac Shakur as AmaruSEGA says Tupac plays Amaru in Stranger Than Heaven, "a man living in hiding in Japan," a CG character RGG Studio built from archival footage and photographs with the permission and supervision of his estate, Amaru Entertainment, and without the use of AI. Amaru's voice, era and role had not been announced as of Nov 3, 2026.
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DevelopmentStranger Than Heaven was in development at RGG Studio for 6 to 7 years, began as a planned trilogy, was revealed as Project Century in December 2024 and renamed in June 2025, and uses no generative AI, according to RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama.