Futoshi Shimano

Futoshi Shimano, known as Futo Shimano in the overseas versions of the games prior to Persona 4, is a character that appears in Persona. He is the head of the Shimano Family, an affiliate of the Tojo Clan.

He is voiced by Masaharu Satō in the Japanese version and Chris Ayres in the English version.

Biography
In the original game, Futoshi is seen at his office with his secretary, Shizuka. They are discussing something regarding a recent incident involving a group of yakuza members who have been attacking small-time merchants on the streets. After discussing the matter, Shizuka mentions that Tojo has been asking after you. Futoshi curses and then asks about progress on the Sotetsu merge. Shizuka has some bad news and says that the Kisho-kai have discovered that the Sotetsu's main building is being used as a front for a gambling ring run by an American gang. In addition, they have found out that the main figurehead of the company is a woman by the name of Lena Sayers.

Shocked by the discovery, Futoshi asks how they could've missed this and Shizuka says that it was fairly easy for the Kisho-Kai considering they're a bunch of idiots who can't run a simple water company. She tells him that the Kisho-Kai are demanding payment for the damage caused by their men and that the Tojo Clan will have to pay this or there will be more attacks in the future. Futoshi, annoyed by the news, says that the Tojo would never pay such a thing and Shizuka remarks that they probably won't have to if they can get the Sotetsu issue fixed soon.

Yakuza 4 and beyond: A new future for the Tojo Clan? Edit

In the original Yakuza game, if you chose to save in the gap between Y2 and Y3, then at the start of Y4 you find out that the Tojo have indeed paid the Kisho-Kai to stop their attacks. However, the real problem is that the Tojo have been found out and the yakuza are coming for blood. The Kisho-Kai has split into two factions with one group loyal to the Tojo and the other led by Kazuma Miki, the man behind the raid on the mansion and the man who shot Shou Zama.

Shizuka asks you if you're going to pay them or fight and if you choose to pay then the game ends here. If you choose to fight, then advance to Yakuza 5. If you choose to fight, then you'll have to pick a side. The Tojo will have to fight the Mafiosos alone and if you choose to help them then you'll have to beat the rival gang's hideout. The rival leaders are: Mafioso leader:

Kazuma Miki (Voice by Shōzō Iizuka)

Rival gang member #1: Youko Tsukurano (Voice by Ken'ichi Ogami)

Rival gang member #2: Hidetaka worrying (Voice by Shōzuo Tomoe)

Rival gang member #3: Gyou Shark (Voice by Keiji Fujiwara)

Yakuza 5 and beyond: Harukawa's future as a businessman? Edit

If you choose to help the Tojo then the game ends here. If you chose not to help the Tojo, then you'll have to fight them and Kazama mobsters. The Tojo win and everyone is killed, ending this story arc. After the battle you find a badly wounded Kazama standing nearby. He pleads with you to kill him before anyone else does, saying that he has no reason left to live. At this moment you can either kill him yourself or let him be killed by the mobsters. If you choose to do the latter, then advance to Yakuza 6. If you choose to kill him, then advance to Yakuza 6.

Yakuza 6 and beyond: The battle of the KK Kings begins? Edit

If you choose to kill him, then you'll find yourself in a stand-off. Kazama is wounded and holding a shotgun. If you try to talk, he'll ratchet it up a few notches and tell you to get out of his sight. You can either try to calm him down, or pull out your phone and call the police. If you try to call the police, then the two of you have a talk. Kazama is calm at first, but as you talk he gets angrier and angrier. Eventually he breaks down and yells that he'll pull the trigger if you don't stop recording. You decide that you're going to try to talk him down. Try to calm him down and he'll be nice to you, threaten him and he gets even angrier. Eventually he lowers the gun, but he's still upset and tells you to get out.

You can try to convince him to give up or you can press your luck and challenge him to a fight. Fight or talk your way out of this one. Fight Kazama and he's an average opponent. He doesn't put up too much of a fight, but he has two annoying tricks up his sleeve. The first is that he'll try to bite you when he knocks you down. The second is that if he wins or the fight is very close, he'll put the gun to his head and pull the trigger. The resulting headshot will end the fight. Either way, you win. Try to convince him not to shoot himself and he'll lower the gun a bit, but he's not convinced. Tell him you'll fight him to let him pull the trigger and win again and he'll lower the gun completely.

Fight him to see who's the real man. Fight and win to prove you're the real man. He pulls the trigger and nothing happens. He's too upset to shoot himself and you're too bored to fight. He begs you not to mock him, but you tell him to get his friends to pull the trigger for him. He does so and the gun explodes in their faces. The sight of this is enough to convince him to pull the trigger for real this time. He shoots himself in the head and dies instantly. Call the police and end the chapter.

Call your yakuza connection and get a guy from the Kamakura chapter to come wipe your debt.

Call the police and tell them all about the gun.

Important articles
 File:FutoshiShimanoStand.jpg | Futoshi Shimano's Stand |link=Futoshi Shimano's Stand