CULTURAL HERITAGE IN YAKUZA 0: REPRESENTING JAPAN’S BUBBLE ECONOMY

Abstract

The growing implementation of video games to depict cultural heritage goals has sparked an increased interest in research opportunities. This study presents a research opportunity on the portrayal of tangible and intangible cultural elements in Yakuza 0 during bubble economy of the late 1980s. The bubble economy is an important milestone in Japan not only for its impact on economy but also a cultural paradigm due to liquidity of money among its citizen who loosened themselves in over consumption of goods and services. The study relied on a framework that used dimensions of cultural heritage to analyze the tangible and intangible cultural aspects portrayed in the game through extensive gameplay and text analysis. It focused on different elements from Yakuza 0, identifying the cultural heritage represented by those elements, suggesting Yakuza 0 as an effective representative of Japan’s bubble economy culture. The world design, landmarks, in-game objects, as well as the story, environment, and side activities replicate the cultural impact of bubble economy in Japan due to liquidity of money and the desire for excessive consumption. The study highlights the effectiveness of Yakuza 0 as a time capsule for the later generation to learn the Japanese cultural heritage during bubble economy.