He is just a man with a persimmon tree.
When you first walk into Bookworms in the Iwatodai Strip Mall, you’re probably just looking for a way to kill time on a Tuesday afternoon. You meet Bunkichi. He’s old, a bit scatterbrained, and deeply obsessed with a tree at Gekkoukan High School. At first glance, the Bunkichi Persona 3 Reload experience feels like a standard "fetch quest" Social Link. You find the leaf, you show it to him, and you start the Hierophant arc. But if you’ve played the original 2006 version or even Persona 3 FES, you’ll notice that Reload treats Bunkichi and his wife, Mitsuko, with a level of visual and emotional fidelity that makes their grief feel uncomfortably real.
It’s about their son. It’s always been about their son.
The Struggle of the Hierophant Arc
Most players focus on the "meta" of the game. You want the fused personas. You want Kohryu. To get there, you have to sit through dozens of tea sessions with an elderly couple who keep offering you snacks. Honestly, it’s easy to spam the "skip" button if you’re just trophy hunting, but Reload forces a slower pace through its gorgeous new character models. You can see the slight tremble in Bunkichi’s hands.
The core of the Bunkichi Persona 3 Reload storyline revolves around a memorial tree scheduled for removal. Their son was a teacher at Gekkoukan who died in a tragic accident. The tree is the only physical piece of him they have left. What makes this specific Social Link so vital to the Persona 3 theme is how it mirrors the protagonist’s own journey. While you’re fighting Shadows to prevent the end of the world, Bunkichi is fighting a school board to save a piece of wood. Both are battles against the inevitability of loss.
Death is everywhere in this game. It’s in the dark hour, it’s in the coffins on the street, and it’s in the quiet corners of a dusty bookstore.
Why the Persimmon Tree Matters More Now
In the remake, the lighting in the bookstore shifts as the seasons change. It’s a small detail, but it emphasizes the passage of time. You aren't just clicking through dialogue; you’re watching a year of these people’s lives disappear. When Bunkichi starts losing his grip on reality or forgetting small things, the higher-resolution textures make those moments of confusion hit harder than the old polygons ever could.
The quest to start the link is simple:
- Visit the bookstore after 4/25.
- Go to the school’s laboratory area.
- Check the tree in the hallway.
- Bring the leaf back to Bunkichi.
But the real "work" is emotional. You spend your days listening to stories about a man you’ll never meet. It’s a masterclass in indirect storytelling. By the time you reach Rank 10, you don’t just care about the tree; you care about the legacy of a teacher who impacted students you’ll never see.
Getting the Most Out of Bunkichi Persona 3 Reload
If you want to maximize your time, you need a Hierophant Persona in your inventory. Berith or Flauros will do the trick early on. Without one, you’re wasting precious days. You’ve only got so many afternoons before the exam seasons or the summer break lock you out of certain interactions.
I’ve seen people complain that the old couple is "boring." They aren't a flashy "waifu" or a cool rival like Sanada. They are just two people who are stuck in the past. But that’s the point. The Bunkichi Persona 3 Reload social link serves as the emotional anchor for the entire Iwatodai Strip Mall. Without them, the mall is just a place to buy medicine and beef bowls. With them, it’s a neighborhood.
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The Missing Person Twist
One of the most heart-wrenching additions (or refinements) in Reload is the way the game integrates the missing person mechanics with your Social Links. If you aren't careful, Bunkichi can actually disappear into Tartarus.
Imagine this. You’ve spent months drinking tea with this man. You’ve promised to help save his son’s tree. Then, Elizabeth calls you. Bunkichi wandered into the tower of demise. If you don’t rescue him by the deadline—usually before the next full moon—he is gone. Not just "unavailable." Gone. His Social Link ends. Mitsuko stays in the shop alone. It is a brutal reminder that in Persona 3, nobody is safe. Not even the sweet old man who calls you "young man" and gives you melon bread.
Rescuing him isn't just about the rewards, though the rewards are decent. It’s about fulfilling the contract of the Hierophant. You are the bridge between the past and the future. If he dies in Tartarus, that bridge collapses.
Nuance in the Writing
The English voice acting in Reload brings a different energy to Bunkichi. He sounds frailer, yet more determined. There is a specific scene where he discusses the "meaning" of the tree that feels less like a video game script and more like a real conversation you’d have with a grandparent.
Persona 3 has always been a game about "Memento Mori"—remember you will die. Bunkichi and Mitsuko have already faced death, and they are still standing. That’s the nuance people miss. They aren't victims; they are survivors who are teaching the protagonist how to grieve without losing your soul.
Practical Steps for Your Playthrough
Don't ignore the bookstore. Seriously. Even if you think you don't need the Hierophant personas, the story beats here provide context for the school's history that you won't get anywhere else.
- Prioritize early Ranks: Get to Rank 3 quickly. This opens up other social opportunities and ensures you have a buffer before the summer blockades.
- Check the Bulletin Board: Always keep an eye on the missing persons list at the police station in Paulownia Mall. Bunkichi usually goes missing around mid-September (9/12 is the date to watch). If you don't save him by 10/4, the bookstore closes forever.
- Carry the Right Persona: Always, always have a Hierophant persona. The point multipliers are the difference between finishing the link in 10 visits or 15. In a game where every day counts, those 5 days are an eternity.
- Don't buy the "wrong" gifts: Honestly, they don't care about expensive crap. They just want your company.
The Bunkichi Persona 3 Reload arc is a slow burn. It doesn't have the high-stakes drama of the SEES internal conflicts, but it has the highest stakes of all: the survival of a memory. When the tree finally stays or goes—depending on your choices and the plot—the resolution feels earned.
You finish the game knowing that even if things end, the impact remains. That is the lesson Bunkichi leaves you with. It’s not about the tree. It was never about the tree. It was about the fact that you showed up to listen when no one else would.
To truly master the Hierophant link, stop looking at the guides for five minutes and actually read the text. The writers at Atlus put a lot of work into making this specific remake feel "human." Bunkichi is the heartbeat of that effort. Go save the old man from Tartarus. He’s got more tea to share.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your calendar: If it's after September 12th in your game, go to the Police Station immediately to check the missing person list.
- Optimize your Persona stock: Visit the Velvet Room and fuse a Lachesis or Daisoujou to ensure you have the Hierophant affinity bonus for the final ranks.
- Visit the Strip Mall: Even on days when Bunkichi isn't available for a rank-up, checking the shop can sometimes trigger unique flavor dialogue that adds to the world-building of Iwatodai.