Makoto Date

Makoto Date (, Date Makoto), is a recurring character in the Yakuza series first featured in the original Yakuza. He is a police detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, and one of Kazuma Kiryu's longest-running supporters.
==Profile==
===Appearance===
Date has a tall face with sunken cheekbones and thick eyebrows. He has a messily slicked back hairstyle and his hair is black.
====Attire====
Date wears a khaki colored trench coat over a white dress shirt, gray slacks, a black leather belt with a silver buckle, and black leather oxfords. In Yakuza Kiwami, he also wears a striped pale dark and light blue necktie. While interrogating Kiryu in 1995, he wears a medium gray suit with a white dress shirt, a black leather belt with a silver buckle, and black oxfords. While bartending at New Serena, his outfit is the same, though he wears a brown apron instead of his trench coat.
===Personality===
Date is an extremely busy and intelligent police detective, who is quickly capable of detecting lies and contradictions in testimonies. He also gives a helping hand to any victim of criminal conspiracies, regardless of their background, and is a family man, in spite of admitting to neglecting his wife and daughter. Despite his proper and clean image, Date is willing to rebel against the police establishment if he believes that they are interfering with the achievement of justice.
==Background==
Date joined the police force around 1991 and originally worked with Jiro Kawara, who he lost respect for after watching him single-handedly murder a number of illegal immigrants. He investigated a fellow detective for exchanging information for bribes, leading to his expulsion from the force. This detective then became a private information dealer known as The Florist of Sai.
==Involvement==
===Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami: 1995-2005===
After Sohei Dojima's murder in 1995, 31-year-old Detective Date is the only one not fully convinced of Kiryu's guilt. He does not believe Kiryu's claim that he killed Dojima due to an argument over money. However, Date never uncovers any evidence proving his belief, and is demoted to Division Four: Organized Crime. As a result, Date loses reputation in the police force, and his wife and daughter leave him soon after.
Date continues to investigate the case even after Kiryu's incarceration, which earns him an unwanted transfer to the Organized Crime Unit. After Kiryu is released from prison, the two team up to investigate the Tojo Clan's, 10 billion missing yen, eventually having a little girl named Haruka accompany them as well. 
An attempt at reconciliation with his daughter Saya Date fails when he gets too drunk to respond to her call, and Kiryu helps Date save her from Shota, who was trying to manipulate and take advantage of her. After Kiryu is arrested following a raid on the Snake Flower Triad's location in Yokohama, he chooses to forsake his career in the police (justifying it by saying that his time was limited anyway) to spring him from jail.
At the end of the game he appears with Sudo in a helicopter, trying to arrest Jingu. Eventually, Sudo has to pull away because of Jingu's men shooting at the helicopter, but they return to the top of the tower on foot after Nishiki blows up the 10 Billion Yen, killing Jingu in the process. In the end, it is his words that encourage Kiryu to keep going after the deaths of Yumi and Nishiki.
===Yakuza 2/Yakuza Kiwami 2: 2006===
After the Ten Billion Yen Incident is over, Date chooses to retire from the police to live with Saya. However, he is recruited, along with his old mentor Jiro Kawara, by Junichi Sudo in a secret mission to uncover the truth behind the Jingweon Mafia. During a shoot-out with a fake Kazuki, an illegal immigrant who is shot and killed, he is falsely accused as the killer. His name is cleared.
===Yakuza 3: 2007-2009===
Date becomes a reporter, and continues to assist Kiryu with information about the Tojo Clan and the incidents. He is shown to have a crush on the Mama of New Serena, and when she is kidnapped by the same man who killed her first husband, a detective, years before he saves her. Due to the memories of this incident she refuses to enter into a relationship with Date, but by the end of the game suggest that someday she might change her mind.
===Yakuza 4: 2010===
Date takes care of New Serena for the Mama while she is at home, due to a bereavement in her family, though he continues his activities as a reporter. He also meets Saya's boyfriend, though at first he disapproves of him. After the fight with Munakata, Date distributes copies of a newspaper article he has written detailing the truth about Munakata from a helicopter above the Millennium Tower. In the epilogue he is shown to have been reinstated to the police force, working with Sudo and Tanimura.
===Yakuza 5: 2010-2012===
Still tending to New Serena, Date sees off Saejima when the latter visits before going to prison.
Date is called to investigate Fujita's suicide. At the site, he sees an Omi Alliance pin on the floor, suggesting Fujita was murdered and the crime scene was arranged to make it look like a suicide. He suspects Naoki Katsuya may be the murderer, but soon learns the true killer is Tsubasa Kurosawa after Katsuya and Daigo Dojima are wounded by him. He goes to New Serena and sees Kiryu passed out, then remembers the misadventures they had over the years.
Shun Akiyama arrives and explains to Date and Saejima of the events that happened so far, with Haruka's concert potentially being in danger and the behind-the-scenes events taking place all around the country over a potential war between Tojo and Omi.
===Yakuza 6: 2012-2017===
Date sees the news of Kiryu's incarceration following a war breaking out between the Tojo and the Omi, and states the police are only arresting him to save their reputation. He states Kiryu can avoid jail time if he hires a lawyer, but is doubtful he would do that. Sometime afterward, Date and the owner of New Serena get married.
In 2015, Date is ordered to go to Little Asia, which has been engulfed in flames. In December 2016, Kiryu's sentence completes and Date meets him in Kamurocho. Kiryu asks Date if he has heard from Haruka, who had vanished three years prior, but he is unsure. Date is told by Jiro Honjo that Haruka was involved in a hit-and-run and she was protecting an infant, Haruto Sawamura, during the accident that put her into coma; information which he passes to Kiryu. Based on the last name and that Haruka almost died to keep him safe, he surmises Haruto is Haruka's son.
Further investigation into Haruka uncovers an image she took on her cellphone with location data from Jingaicho, Onomichi in Hiroshima. Date learns Kiryu kidnapped Haruto out of fear that he will be placed in an orphanage, and negotiates with Child Protective Services to not go after Kiryu, stating he himself will take responsibility if any harm befell Haruto while he is under Kiryu's care. He finds Kiryu in a convenience store and gives him baby food for Haruto so he does not feed the infant an onigiri. At new Serena, he informs Kiryu that Haruka was likely hiding in Hiroshima, and informs him of the Hiroshima-based Yomei Alliance which may not take kindly to his presence there.
After Kiryu leaves for Hiroshima, Date receives phone calls from men claiming to be from the Tojo Clan asking to see her. Knowing the danger Haruka may be in, he moves her to a police-owned hospital to keep her safe, and asks Akiyama to stay away from her to avoid risking any enemies locating her. After Kiryu returns, Date is called to investigate the murder of Shu Tatsukawa, which is suspected to be related to the Saio Triad. He meets Hirose Family yakuza Tsuyoshi Nagumo and Yuta Usami at new Serena, and tells Kiryu what he had told Akiyama, and that Haruka's condition has not improved.
After Kiryu and the Hirose Family investigate Tatsukawa and the Saio, they discuss them potentially wanting to kill Haruto, and of a secret in Onomichi. Kiryu hopes to find out more in his meeting with Saio leader Big Lo. Takumi Someya arrives to see Kiryu to meet Lo, but, aware of Date's occupation as a cop, initially decides not to talk, but Date turns a blind eye to let him speak. Afterwards, Kiryu and his two companions head to Hiroshima after receiving news.
The next time Kiryu returns, Date learns Yuta is Haruto's father. He warns Kiryu that the Yomei Alliance is present in Kamurocho, which is putting the Saio Triad on edge, and agrees to take Haruto with him to keep him safe. During their discussion, Yuta leaves to make a phone call, but after he takes a while, Date realized he snuck off, and Kiryu goes after him. Date takes Haruto to the hospital with Haruka, and sees a tear fall from her eye when he brings Haruto to her.
Kiryu retrieves Big Lo and Yuta, and they put bandages on Lo for his injuries. Lo calls Kiryu to meet him outside, at which point Date informs Kiryu of Haruka's condition improving. When he returns after the talk, Kiryu informs Date and Yuta what he learned of the Secret of Onomichi, and how Yuta's patriarch Toru Hirose may be involved. He asks Yuta to stay behind to be with Haruka, but Yuta is insistent on going to Hiroshima and killing Lo for accusing his patriarch, which Date takes as grounds to "arrest" Yuta and make him be with Haruka, reassuring Kiryu.
While still looking after Haruka with Yuta and Haruto, she wakes up. Haruka is left in Date's care when Kiryu arrives to take Yuta and resolve the issue with the Yomei Alliance. He moves her around again to shake off any threat, but Honjo suddenly appears and has the police snatch Haruka and Haruto away from him. As Date suspected, the officers were paid off to take them and they shoot down both Honjo and Date, Honjo taking a more fatal shot and Date requiring a sling for his arm later.
Date waits outside Kiryu's hospital room after he is critically injured following his showdown with Tsuneo Iwami and Katsumi Sugai. When Kiryu states his conditions for keeping Onomichi's secret a secret to a politician, Date bursts into his hospital room, reminding him of the consequences of declaring his own death and disappearing from Haruka and Haruto's lives. Kiryu still chooses to go with his plan and the politician accepts his conditions, with Date acting as the witness for Kiryu's "death".
Later, while in New Serena, Shun Akiyama appears to question Date, as Date states that he saw Kiryu's body and that the body was cremated. Akiyama refuses to believe him and then leaves; Date comments on how far he really has to stick his neck out for Kiryu shortly after.
===Yakuza: Like a Dragon: 2019===
Koichi Adachi calls Date and asks if he has a place for him and his friends to stay while they are in Kamurocho. Not wanting to turn down a friend from his days in the police force, he allows Ichiban Kasuga's party to stay at New Serena. Before leaving, Date comments on Kasuga's eyes being similar to a friend of his.
=== Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth: 2023 ===
Learning of Kiryu's condition, Date meets him at The Harbor Light to arrange a series of discreet meetings with friends and family, hoping to show him the impact his life has had on others. After attempting to have Kiryu reunite with Haruka, Date is threatened by the Daidoji Faction for endangering the secrecy of Kiryu's survival.
Date is contacted by Yutaka Yamai, making a deal for Kasuga and his party's safe return to Japan. 
==Other Media==
===Yakuza: Dead Souls===
Date is an AI partner in Yakuza: Dead Souls. His weapon of choice is the "Date Special" submachine gun.
==Fighting Style==
As an AI partner throughout Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami, Date's moveset is identical to the regular enemies encountered in both games. When he is playable in Yakuza Kiwami's Climax Battle Proving Grounds 10, every attack he inflicts causes him to bend down in exhaustion, and he walks in a drunk-like state. He also cannot pick up any items.
==Trivia== 
*In the English localization of Yakuza 6, a speech option for Kazuma Kiryu's bar chat at Snack New Gaudi is "She knows Date!?" in response to the word "date." In the Japanese version, the option is simply "No" (, Iya).
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
Category:Keihin News
Category:Serena
Category:Gary’s Boot Camp
Category:Yakuza Characters
Category:Yakuza Supporting Characters
Category:Yakuza Kiwami Characters
Category:Yakuza Kiwami AI Partners
Category:Yakuza Kiwami Supporting Characters
Category:Yakuza Kiwami Playable Characters
Category:Yakuza 2 Characters
Category:Yakuza 2 Supporting Characters
Category:Yakuza Kiwami 2 Characters
Category:Yakuza Kiwami 2 Supporting Characters
Category:Yakuza 3 Characters
Category:Yakuza 3 Supporting Characters
Category:Yakuza 4 Characters
Category:Yakuza 4 Supporting Characters
Category:Yakuza: Dead Souls Characters
Category:Yakuza: Dead Souls AI Partners
Category:Yakuza: Dead Souls Supporting Characters
Category:Yakuza 5 Characters
Category:Yakuza 5 Supporting Characters
Category:Yakuza 6 Characters
Category:Yakuza 6 Supporting Characters
Category:Yakuza: Like a Dragon Characters
Category:Yakuza: Like a Dragon Minor Characters
Category:Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Characters
Category:Ryu Ga Gotoku Online Characters