How does the gardening mini-game work in Like a Dragon: Ishin?

As Sakamoto Ryoma, the main character in Like a Dragon: Ishin, you bust a lot of heads. When you’re not busy teaching scoundrels a lesson, however, you take time for calmer pursuits. One of the most vital of those pursuits is gardening. Here is our guide to how the gardening mini-game works in Like a Dragon: Ishin.

Note: For more, check out our Like a Dragon: Ishin! guides and features hub.

How does the gardening mini-game work in Like a Dragon: Ishin?

Gardening is a useful pursuit you can pursue once you gain access to Ryoma’s Villa early in the campaign. Growing crops generates Virtue, plus you can sell your produce at market for substantial rewards and use your produce ingredients to cook dishes that restore health lost in combat. Besides that, gardening is a relaxing activity that offers a welcome break from the combat.

To garden in Like a Dragon: Ishin, first plant vegetables in your garden plot, then harvest them when they are ready. You manage these activities by accessing the shed, which is to the left of the plot of land where you can plant vegetables. From the shed, you can select Farming Plan and designate which crops go in the available space. Each type of crop requires a different length of time to mature so that you can harvest it. Vegetables take up differing amounts of space, but you can rotate them like pieces in Tetris.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Early on, you have access to only a few varieties of plant. Your garden plot is a very small grid of 5×2. You should spend Virtue to increase its size as soon as possible. Spend additional Virtue on the ‘Spontaneous Farming’ skill to make agricultural labor automatic. You will still need to harvest crops yourself, however. Do so individually by standing among the desired crop and pressing the button, or harvest everything at once by selecting an option at the shed.

Make sure to spend Virtue unlocking any gardening upgrades. You’ll improve how quickly crops grow, how effective your scarecrow is at chasing away birds, and increase the diversity of crops available. As you continue planting and harvesting crops, you regularly earn Virtue to reward your efforts. These rewards add up quickly once you have a large garden. You can also buy Fertilizer from the Manure Merchant who wanders the main street in Rakunai to speed along the process.

Like a Dragon: Ishin can be purchased on Steam and the Xbox marketplace.