Like A Dragon

Shimano has a heavy build and is shaved bald Shimano is seen with two different sets of clothing: a pale purple suit over a green dress shirt and a green tie with Shimano family insignia buttoned on his jacket and a set of Tojo Clan kimono with white socks and matching black sandals.

Much like Sohei Dojima, Shimano has a reputation for his ruthless, violent nature. He is short-tempered and is a firm believer in enforcing discipline, as by his torture of Goro Majima after he disobeyed orders or when he cut off a subordinate's fingers for failing to collect protection money from Stardust. Though he mostly relies on sheer brute force to retain his power, Shimano has shown he is capable of cunning strategy. Much like his sworn brother Tsukasa Sagawa, Shimano likes keeping tabs on others and expects them to visit and render tribute to him when they're in his territory.

In December 1980, Shimano was ordered by his boss, Sohei Dojima, to carry out an attack on the rival Jingweon Mafia, alongside Shintaro Kazama. . In 1985, when it came time for Kazama to become the captain of the Dojima Family, Shimano started the Shimano Family as a subsidiary to the Dojima Family. As the patriarch of the Shimano Family, Shimano valued strength, with one of his favorite members being Goro Majima. On April 21, 1985, the day Majima was to carry out a hit on the Ueno Seiwa Clan, Shimano and Dojima became suspicious of details surrounding the hit, and ordered Kazuo Shibata to meet up with Majima to cancel the hit. However, Majima defied orders, and Shimano had Majima tortured as punishment. After Majima endured a year of torture, Shimano decided to release him, placing him in custody of Tsukasa Sagawa as "human pet." In 1987, the Shimano Family split off from the Dojima Family and became a direct subsidiary of the Tojo Clan.