Hanako Arasaka

Hanako Arasaka (荒坂 華子) is the third child and only daughter to Saburo and the apple of his eye. Hanako is a skilled netrunner and the head of the Kiji (雉) Faction of the Arasaka Corporation. She is loved by many people and often described as sweet and beautiful in the eyes of many Arasaka employees. Hanako is an intelligent woman who didn't agree with her father's ambitions and had her own agenda she planned to follow. Despite knowing what her father's wishes entailed with her, she still loved and didn't want to displease him.

Her relationship with her brother Yorinobu is one of great importance to her. Through her strong and calm demeanor Hanako is able to command and lead with great pride for her work. Hanako became the figurehead and CEO of the Corporation. Although her digital projects were what drove her, Hanako was the only one who understood Alt's work with the Soulkiller.

1999-2020
Hanako Arasaka is Saburo Arasaka's youngest child, conceived when he was eighty, and the apple of his eye. Hanako was born to Saburo's third and last wife, Michiko, who died shortly thereafter due to complications caused by the birth in March 2, 1999.

Saburo was charmed by his little daughter's stunning beauty, and he decided to raise her in the sheltered confines of the Arasaka Family Compound to protect her from the scarring traumas of life in the exterior world. Hanako received her schooling at the compound through trusted tutors. Although she is a grown woman now, Hanako still only leaves the compound about once a month, and then only under heavy escort. Cut off from the outside world, she learned how to travel and explore the Net instead. Saburo made sure that Hanako was never made aware of the darker side of the corporation, but, through her Net explorations, Hanako was just beginning to suspect the horrible truth.

While Hanako would not leave the compound, the few times she would leave to see Tokyo she was escorted by Shintaro Takayama, the chief of security of the compound, or Katsuo Iwashima, the second in command. Shintaro was like a second father to her and she trusted him more than most. Hanako was also delighted with his stories of ancient Japan he would tell her while she was growing up. Katsuo would escort her when Shintaro was not available and her relationship with him was a pleasant one.

Hanako was a sweet and intelligent woman. She had been chafing under her father's well meaning restraint for several years, but she had never voiced her complaints. She knew that her father wanted to arrange her marriage in order to solidify a corporate alliance, but she secretly dreaded the day it would happen. Hanako never wished to hurt her father, but she had sworn to live an independent life after he died. Hanako's relationship with her older half-brother Kei was strained. While Kei adored Hanako and would do anything for her, she still found him cold and threatening never fully trusting him.

Her closest family member was Yorinobu, her older rebellious brother of the same mother. Hanako and Yorinobu would regularly meet in the Net while he rode with the Steel Dragons.

2045
In the 2040s, as the eldest daughter of the Arasaka family, Hanako had always been a bit of a recluse. As a highly skilled Netrunner, she had always preferred to work on her digital projects, particularly on a revised version of Soulkiller that would allow the transfer minds into clone bodies, she was of one few who grasped the true meaning of Alt Cunningham's work. However, with the death of Kei, the remainder of the Old Guard had unified around her and wanted to continue Saburo and Kei's plans as the Kiji (雉) Faction. They represented the faction that hoped for a peaceful reconciliation with the NUSA and Hanako was their figurehead. She was also instrumental in getting her brother, Yorinobu to finally reconcile with the fractured Arasaka family.

At some point before 2070, Hanako began to run a preserve for the last surviving Japanese green pheasants (キジ) on the island of Shikoku.

2077
In 2077, Hanako left with her father Saburo on the Kujira for Night City, one of the handful of times in her life she had ever left Tokyo. Her father had told her about how Yorinobu had stolen the Relic from his lab and how he was going to confront him. She was concerned for her brother and told her father that she should speak with Yorinobu or at least accompany Saburo. Her father declined her request. Hanako still asked what he planned to do, however Saburo didn't know what he should do and gave no answer. Hanako while arriving to Night City announced she would participate in the celebration of a Japanese matsuri festival. She traveled to Night City for the occasion on the Kujira, an Arasaka aircraft carrier, and was accompanied by her bodyguard Oda. After the death of Saburo and Yorinobu seizing control of Arasaka, Hanako planned to give a eulogy for her father from a float in the main parade in Japantown during the festival.

During the festival Hanako was kidnapped by Goro Takemura. And taken to an unfinished apartment building in Vista del Rey where Takemura attempted to reason with her. Hanako refused to hear out Takemura and the tea he offered her, after a while a merc named V shows up to explain what is going on. V explained to Hanako that Yorinobu really killed her father, however before anything can be accomplished Arasaka soldiers burst into the building destroying the floor and securing Hanako. (Dependent) If Takemura escaped the attack, Hanako placed him in a safe location. Hanako sends a doll to speak with V who was hiding in a motel in the badlands. She informed V that she believes them and offers to help if they have the information needed. Hanako tells V to meet her at the Embers. When V visits Hanako, she explains the situation and that no one ever truly believed the story of Saburo being killed by poison and that no one was willing to stand against Yorinobu. Hanako offers to save V's life if they help her to testify against the board of directors, before she is called back to the Arasaka Estate.


 * Yorinobu Arasaka confirmed that Hanako was among the victims from when Alt took control of Arasaka Tower. He also vowed to find those responsible for her death.


 * Hanako disappeared from the public. News reports included a statement from Hanako that she was grieving for her father and needed time away from the spotlight. The fate of the Arasaka family and company was unclear, as Yorinobu returned to the Tokyo headquarters.


 * Hanako informed V that she would meet with Goro Takemura and Anders Hellman to rescue her from the Arasaka Estate. During the rescue she informed the group of the security forces and once they were successful they took off in an AV for Arasaka Tower. Hanako spoke with V as she took them through Saburo's office to then later meet with Saburo Arasaka as an engram, the three had a brief discussion before Saburo told Hanako he was ready. Afterwards she went to meet with the members of the board and faction leaders so that her father could confront them and they could learn the truth of Yorinobu's betrayal. During the meeting Yorinobu began a military coup of the corporation killing all members of the board except Hanako and Michiko Arasaka. Hanako along with Goro Takemura and V stormed the upper echelons of Arasaka Tower to dethrone Yorinobu Arasaka's tyrannical reign. Hanako confronted her brother had his consciousness overwritten with Saburo's engram, who then lived on to revert all changes by his son while he was acting CEO.

Database Entry (2077)

 * Daughter of Saburo Arasaka and one of the most enigmatic figures in the Arasaka Corporation. Her past is shrouded in secrecy and closely guarded by a team of lawyers prepared to torpedo any journal inquiry into her life. The predominant theory about her early life suggests that she was forbidden from leaving the Arasaka family's residence near Tokyo until she came of age. Only her skills as a netrunner kept Hanako from becoming completely cut off from the outside world. Many also believe that she helped her brother, Yorinobu return to the family fold after his infamous rebellion came to a fruitless halt.
 * Although Hanako has never held an official position within the company, the buzz around her involvement in behind-the-scenes corporate scheming continues to grow. That said, separating truth from speculation remains nearly impossible. Rumors about Hanako Arasaka never last long. And neither do the people who spread them.

Associated Quests

 * Playing for Time (seen on the TV)
 * Play It Safe
 * Search and Destroy
 * Nocturne Op55N1
 * Last Caress
 * Totalimmortal

Trivia

 * Hanako's identity was confirmed by CD Projekt RED's Senior Quest Designer, Philipp Weber.
 * Her name in Kanji appears to be 荒坂 華子, according to a post by a Japanese CDPR forum moderator.