How to find the silver skeleton key in Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Looking for the Yakuza: Like a Dragon silver skeleton key and the safes with which they're unlocked? No worries, I can lead you to both. If you've played Yakuza games in the past, you may notice that the system seems familiar. It's essentially the opposite of the Kamurocho coin locker system. Instead of picking up keys off the ground around town and taking them back to one central location, you'll get a key that unlocks any silver safe you find hidden around the city

Like the coin lockers, silver safes have loot in them. Sometimes they will reveal items you can sell. Other times it will be gear or weapons. Even if you don't have the silver skeleton key yet, do make sure you interact with those sparkling silver boxes when you find them. Doing so will mark them on your map so you can return later once you have the key. So, here's how to unlock each sliver safe in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, plus the skeleton key location.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon: Silver skeleton key location 

Chances are you'll stumble across a silver safe early in Yakuza: Like a Dragon and be told about the skeleton key. Be warned, it will be another several hours before you can find it, so don't waste time running all over the city trying to locate it unnecessarily. 

You'll be given the silver skeleton key as a main story quest reward in Chapter 3, several hours into your game. 

You'll know you're on the right track after you get a story mission from Hello Work that involves acting as protection for a local bar in Yokohama. Saving the bar and its owner from a hired thug is your ticket. After the quest is over you should get a notification telling you that you've received the silver skeleton key. Now you're free to go pop open all those silver safes you've found.

What about gold safes and keys?

Gold safes are much rarer in Yakuza: Like A Dragon and they work a bit differently. Like the silver safes, you'll need to find a key before you can unlock them. Gold keys, however, are single-use and tricky to find. Just like the silver safes, interact with them when you find them so you'll remember where to return when you have a key in hand.

Some Yakuza: Like a Dragon: Silver safe locations

Since silver safes are basically the inverse of the coin locker system from previous Yakuza games, you can find them hidden all over the city. As is the way with RPGs, you'll want to check the paths less taken—inconspicuous corners, hidden alleyways, and beneath staircases. 

Here are some of the silver safes I found that you should be able to unlock early on in Yakuza: Like A Dragon, to give you an idea of the kind of spots you're looking for:

On top of the parking structure south of the homeless camp. 

In an alleyway south of the parking structure.

In the Hello Work lobby.

A Bar District alleyway (there are two safes here).

Behind Otohime Land 

Koreatown indoor mall

Underground station on Isezaki Road 

Bayside St gated building grounds (there are three safes here) 

Upper walkway near La Chatte Blanche 

Below western train line (there are three safes here)