Konami has not killed the Kojima tree … yet

Kojima left something behind when he left Konami — and it’s still alive. For now.

You’d barely notice the “Kojima tree” on the back patio of Konami’s Los Angeles studio. The scrawny little Akebono Yoshino Cherry tree is a leafless twig that sits at the end of a row of mature trees that are thriving in this sunny Playa Vista, Calif., location. Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima planted it to commemorate the establishment of this location in late 2013. Not even two years later, the famed game director and Konami figurehead parted ways with the company following disputes over his upcoming blockbuster, Metal Gear Solid V.