Makoto Niijima

Makoto Niijima is a playable character in Persona 5. She's the student council president of Shujin Academy who lives a double life as a Phantom Thief.

Appearances

 * Persona 5 / Royal: Playable Character; Priestess Confidant
 * Persona 5 (Manga): Major Character
 * Persona 5: Mementos Mission: Major Character
 * Persona 5 Dengeki Comic Anthology: Major Character
 * Persona 5 Comic à La Carte: Major Character
 * Persona 5 The Animation: Major Character
 * Persona O.A.: Major Character
 * ''Persona 5 The Stage #2
 * Persona 5 Strikers: Playable Character
 * Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight: Playable Character; Priestess Social
 * Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight: DLC partner
 * Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth: Playable Character
 * Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth Roundabout Special

Design
Makoto has brown hair in a bob cut with blunt bangs and a French-braid styled headband that matches her hair color. Her eyes are abnormal as they have been depicted as red, although her eye color in her portraits can be interpreted as a reddish-brown. She is of average female height, being taller than Futaba Sakura and Haru Okumura, but slightly shorter than Ann Takamaki.

Her winter school uniform appears normal but without the standard blazer. Instead, she wears a black halter vest over a long-sleeve white shirt with a turtleneck (which is different from normal turtlenecks for female students as there is a noticeable zipper). She wears the regulation black and red pleated plaid skirt, black pantyhose and black-brown ankle boots.

Her summer school uniform is modified. She wears a white dress shirt with the High Priestess emblem ("BJ") embroidered on the collar instead of a normal polo shirt. Under the regulation skirt, she wears Capri-length black leggings and black tassel loafers with no socks.

Her winter casual clothes consist of a black turtleneck shirt under a teal blue coat, with tight black pants and two-toned brown-tan knee-high boots with dark cuffs. Her summer casual clothes consist of a white dress blouse with a black belt, black capris similar to leggings from her summer school uniform attire and black low-heeled Mary Jane shoes.

During the trip to Hawaii, Makoto wears her swimsuit, which consists of a white bikini with a skirted bottom.

In Royal, Makoto’s school outfit is slightly modified for the Third Semester, wearing a large black overcoat and brown gloves. On her days off, she wears a white sweater with a large turtleneck collar, a black skirt, black pantyhose, and dress shoes. Additionally, she wears a dark blue coat and brown leather gloves.

Her Metaverse outfit consists of a two-toned (dark blue and black) skintight suit that is worn with a long black scarf, a dark gray corset-style leather breastplate, shoulder and knee pads with spikes mixed with boots that sport metal heels and toes, white gloves and an iron mask.

In Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, she retains her Shujin academy school uniform except she wears dark gray tatter shirt with stitches and black splatter pattern design, thigh high stockings attached to her skirt by garters on the front and maroon high-top sneaker boots. She also wears a red scarf that matches her gloves and a chain attached to her black belt.

In Persona 5 Strikers, she wears a short-sleeved black leather crop top jacket over a white T-shirt, shin-length black leather pants, and black shoes. She also seems to have inherited the necklace of her older sister, Sae Niijima, which is a dog tag. While at the festivals, she wears a blue yukata with a white flower pattern and an orange sash. For the day off in Okinawa, Makoto wears a dull olive halter top bikini with a green and white leaf patterns, with lace up sandals that reach her ankles.

Personality
Despite her position as student council president, Makoto is an extremely unpopular student at Shujin Academy. This is due to her not doing anything to stop Suguru Kamoshida's abuse, resulting in all the students labeling her as an arrogant, selfish control freak who knew about the abuse but chose to ignore it because she only cared about getting a good letter of recommendation. While she does give off the impression of this during the Phantom Thieves' first few encounters with her, these rumors are ultimately revealed to be completely untrue. In actuality, the abuse outraged Makoto, but she felt powerless to do anything about it due to the influence Kamoshida held over the school. In fact, Makoto holds no real authority at Shujin, with her position merely making her a glorified tool for the principal to use however he sees fit.

She also isn't above keeping secrets from her friends to keep her image. When Akechi reveals to the group that Sae has a Palace, Makoto admits that she knew that and she wanted to go there so Sae might repent, but she kept it a secret because she thought it was "too selfish of a reason." Way before this, it led to her hiding the true reason why she didn't stand up against Kamoshida.

Feeling overshadowed by her highly successful older sister and being used as a tool, Makoto has almost no sense of self-worth, and so has made a habit of keeping her nose down and doing what is expected of her. Her submissive nature is noted by Goro Akechi, who condescendingly refers to her as "the good-girl type of pushover." After getting involved with the Phantom Thieves, however, Makoto stops denying that she was nothing other than a tool for higher authorities, and vows from then on to fight for what she believes in, which triggers the awakening of her Persona. After the group defeats Junya Kaneshiro, Makoto decides to stay with the Phantom Thieves, saying that she's done being the "exemplary honor student" and that she's going to try to be more honest with herself.

Despite appearing prim and proper on the surface, Makoto is actually more of a tomboy: she's trained in aikido, enjoys violent action movies, never wears skirts other than her school uniform (which she wears leggings under) and seems to care little about fashion other than the headband she wears in her hair.

Makoto can also be very bossy and is harshly critical of those who don't live up to her expectations, particularly Ryuji Sakamoto, whose case she constantly gets on due to his consistently nonchalant approach to school life, implying that she's a perfectionist. She also has a ton of repressed anger issues over being made to stand on a pedestal by adults who don't follow the same standards themselves, and as such has the worst temper of the group bar none, to the point that even Iwai has to fear her, as seen during the Mementos Mission manga.

In spite of this, Makoto's actually level-headed and kind person when rules don't apply to the situation, almost to a motherly extent. That side of her would be highlighted when she'd help Futaba Sakura and at a few points Morgana. Additionally, this same struggle with regulations would make her socially awkward at first, as she wouldn't yet realize that there's more to life than that, and would actively combat her ignorance with the protagonist's help.



Despite her immensely serious personality and efforts to be above the more bizarre antics of her friends, Makoto does have her own hidden elements such as being frightened by hearing ghost stories, as well as the dark. Her panicking would become severe, begging for her older sister's help and at one point even holding onto the protagonist's leg.

Makoto is an excellent analytical thinker and strategist, known for correctly deducting how a majority of puzzles in Palaces work on first sight. Bar situations where Akechi joins the party, Makoto performs most of the strategic work.

Makoto's relationship with her sister is highly bitter, as Sae considers her as a detriment, yet Makoto constantly attempts to please her by fulfilling the expectations of other people. When she realized her sister's true nature (Where her Leviathan form can be seen briefly appearing for a second before the party battles her), she went to a near breakdown before Akechi assures her that they will get this through.

Persona 5
The Niijima sisters Makoto and Sae lived alongside their father since their mother died when they were young. As he was not home often, the sisters disliked him. Unfortunately, three years ago, he was murdered by being ran over by a truck in the line of duty, forcing the elder sister Sae to juggle between handling cases in court and raising Makoto alone. In order to retain the 99% indictment rate of her country's courts, Sae also more often than not, found herself having to rig cases with a guilty charge against her will. As a result, she saw both Makoto and their father as a burden and did not hold her in high regard. Makoto also regretted disliking her father and wished that he would still be around.

Makoto was deeply apologetic that her sister has to shoulder the burden of supporting her on her own, which she absolutely hates being in a position at, and as a result studied very hard so that she can enter a top-notch university, and relieve Sae's burden once she graduates. Unfortunately, nobody in school treated her seriously, and even Sae's associates, such as Goro Akechi, mocked her for her submissive attitude. When the protagonist moves in Tokyo, she has become a third-year honor student and the president of the student council in Shujin Academy, although she was dissatisfied with the situation because the students view her as incompetent and unfit for the job.

She can initially be found in the school library on 4/18 studying at a table after school lets out for the day, and will appear semi-regularly there from then on.

After Madarame's confession, she was asked by Principal Kobayakawa to investigate the possibility that the Phantom Thieves are students from their school after their volleyball coach, Suguru Kamoshida's confession and arrest. She accepts the request and is quick to deduce that the protagonist and the others are the Phantom Thieves and starts to approach them. Ann Takamaki, in particular, does not like her presence due to a rumor that claims Makoto was aware of Kamoshida's true nature but kept quiet about it like everyone else in order to maintain a paragon image before the faculties and receive a recommendation for her own benefit, a thought that Ann bitterly tells to Makoto, which disturbs her. (Unfortunately, this turned out to be true as she confirmed personally later on after Kaneshiro extorts the party.)

She begins to tail the protagonist for a time, following him whenever he is in school or even as far as Shibuya. On June 11th, Makoto finally confirms her suspicions when she hears Ryuji Sakamoto declares out loud in the courtyard of Shujin Academy that they are the Phantom Thieves. However, she decides not to give this proof to Kobayakawa and instead demands the Phantom Thieves to prove their justice by reforming an unknown mafia boss who has been extorting many students around Shibuya, including those attending Shujin Academy. If they can complete the task, she will not expose their identities to anyone. Deep down, Makoto actually approves of the thieves and believes her father would think the same way, which she told Sae when the sisters were having dinner at home, triggering Sae's anger, causing her to call Makoto a "burden." This disheartens Makoto heavily, even if Sae quickly apologized for insulting her because of an impulsive fit of rage. Sae then tells Makoto that she will not have dinner with Makoto from that point on, implying that she still holds grudges against her.

Makoto checks on the group as they have trouble reaching the center of mafia boss Kaneshiro's Palace. Ann, Ryuji and Yusuke point out how useless she is for not doing anything that can help them but rely on the hard works of somebody else, something that greatly upsets Makoto after being told the same thing before by her sister and Akechi. To prove her worth, Makoto purposely acts as bait into the mafia so that the gang can follow behind. Once there, Kaneshiro takes photos of the group being merely present in his adult-exclusive nightclub for blackmail material. He demands 3 million yen within 3 weeks in exchange for the photos, which will ruin their reputations if leaked. Additionally, if they cannot pay the 3 million yen, he would force Makoto into prostitution to pay back the debt, adding that he may even keep Sae as his personal slave.

Makoto apologizes for her rash actions and explains how this folly could ruin Sae's effort in raising her. She tries to think of a way to pay Kaneshiro, but Morgana suggests to make her an ally by bringing her along to Kaneshiro's Palace because she is now the "special customer" to Kaneshiro's extortion business. Entering the Metaverse, a passageway is opened to allow the thieves and Makoto to access Kaneshiro's "floating bank." Makoto is confronted by Shadow Kaneshiro who taunts her by revealing his plan to extort her sister. Angered and disgusted by Kaneshiro, Makoto awakens her Persona power of Johanna and decides to join the Phantom Thieves.

If the party cannot complete Kaneshiro's Palace in time, the police come to arrest the protagonist, claiming they have found a drugged and brutalized schoolgirl (heavily implied to be Makoto) in one of Kaneshiro's nightclubs deliriously muttering his name. This scenario is a false recollection made by the protagonist during Sae's interrogation due to his mind being addled by drugs he was forcefully administered by the police. Sae proceeds to leave the room to give the protagonist time to recover, at which point Akechi takes the opportunity to assassinate him.

After changing Kaneshiro's heart, she receives a call from Kaneshiro who tells her he has deleted the photos and is going to turn himself in, relieving Makoto and the others. She then reports to Kobayakawa that she concludes her investigation of the Phantom Thieves by simply lying by telling him that the Phantom Thieves are justice and she does not have any proof that the Thieves are in their school, much to Kobayakawa's dismay. She even declines his recommendation letter for university when Kobayakawa persuades her once more.

Upon showing her support for the Phantom Thieves, Makoto accepts Ann's apology for wrongly accusing her previously. Makoto asks if she can address Ann directly by her given name and without honorific, to which Ann happily agrees. Makoto also begins to act as the strategist of the Phantom Thieves by proposing direction and trouble solution for the gang. She usually analyzes the puzzles around the Palaces aside from cases where Akechi is around the party, as Akechi's deduction skills are sharper than hers. She goes so far that she installs spyware written by Futaba Sakura in Sae's laptop so the gang can learn the investigation progress of the Prosecutors Office.

After the Thieves come under suspicion, Makoto proposes reaching out to Akechi in order to gain information, only to find that Akechi has already realized all of their identities. Akechi says that he will release the photos of the Thieves exiting the Palace to the police unless they work with him to find the true culprits behind Okumura and Kobayakawa's death, both of them who he committed under the orders of the Conspiracy head. However, the first step involves stealing Sae's heart before the investigation finds (or plants) incriminating evidence on the Thieves. Makoto admits that she has known for a while that her sister has a Palace, but had hoped to change Sae's heart through other means.

While progressing through Sae's Palace, Makoto is shocked to realize the depths of her sister's bitterness and cynicism, particularly her Shadow's belief that trials are nothing more than games to be won by any means necessary. She nearly has a breakdown upon facing the true nature of her sister's Shadow but is able to calm down when Akechi comforts her.

During the infiltration of Shido's Palace, the group arrives at a banquet hall as they try to look for invitation letters to enter the assembly hall. Due to her more formal nature, she decides to take a seat alongside Ryuji before Ooe's Shadow confronts them. Ryuji unintentionally escalates the situation by talking back but Makoto manages to appease the shadow with compliments and inquires about the subway accident, which Ooe claims that he had ordered to take down a diplomat and a rival CEO who supported the current government.

Confidant
Makoto's Confidant can be unlocked on June 24th after you have finished Kaneshiro's Palace. However, one can only commence this Confidant while the protagonist has Knowledge rank 3 (Scholarly) or higher, and the Confidant cannot proceed past rank 5 unless the protagonist has maxed Charm (Debonair). Maxing this Confidant makes Johanna evolve into Anat and unlocks the fusion of Cybele.

Makoto's Confidant begins when Makoto asks the protagonist to guide her around the outside world to learn more about society. While exploring Shinjuku and exposed to the realities of the outside world, she sees Eiko Takao, a student of Shujin Academy was working at a salon. After discussing the situation with her, Eiko became friends with Makoto. Makoto was determined however to find out Eiko's situation and goes on a double date with the protagonist and learn that Eiko is in a relationship with Tsukasa, a shifty-looking host who has been taking advantage of emotionally vulnerable young girls to force them to work for illegal businesses in Shinjuku.

Makoto slowly opens up to the protagonist during the confidant, admonishing herself for letting her studies fall behind in search of a social relationship and how the impact of her father's death affected the family. Makoto explains she felt like the expectations of society had on her has caused her to lose sight of the outside world and the feelings of those around her.

Eventually, Eiko asks Makoto for help as Tsukasa had to pay for damages after dropping a bottle of expensive sake. There, she realized that deep down Eiko wanted to break free from her privileged life and strove to protect her newfound friend by revealing the true nature of Tsukasa with the protagonist's help.

After the altercation between Tsukasa and Eiko, she heads to the Crossroads Bar where the protagonist can decide to pursue a relationship or not. Regardless of the outcome, she makes amends with Eiko who has returned to studying hard for college and she makes the decision to become a police commissioner to not only honor her father's legacy but to destroy the lawless and help rescue victims. Finding irony in her new resolve, Makoto fully pledges to give her all in both her new goal and her duty as a Phantom Thief, causing Johanna to transform into Anat.

Makoto's farewell gift after maxing her Confidant is the Buchi Calculator, allowing the protagonist the ability to use Shadow Factorization at Rank 1 of her Confidant in New Game+. If the protagonist pursues a romantic relationship with Makoto, she will gift the protagonist a Wristwatch on Christmas, allowing the protagonist to earn more points when using a Priestess Persona during their Confidant in NG+, and Makoto's Chocolate on Valentine's Day, which fully restores SP to one ally when consumed.

Persona 5 Royal
Makoto can be seen following along behind the protagonist on the way to school on April 15th. A short while later, she will be seen near the doors to the courtyard in the practice building, expressing shock about a teacher directing her to conduct the students back to their classrooms and be silent about the situation online in order to avoid a scandal, wondering about ensuring the safety of the students and directing paramedics.

In addition, she can also be found observing the protagonist and Ryuji during their first trip to Kichijoji.

Taking Back Reality
In the third semester events when Tokyo is in Takuto Maruki's reality, her father is back as if he had never died, and the family relations between Makoto and Sae have been repaired, having an almost strong sisterly bond. According to the two, their father also received an award for being an outstanding officer.

This is a result of Makoto's desires, as she wished for her father to be alive, so Sae wouldn't need to take care of her and treat her like a burden. In this reality, the sisters' father never died to begin with. Once Makoto chooses to deny Maruki's reality, her father is never heard of again.

If the protagonist maxes her Confidant and talks to her after she rejoins, she will berate herself for her selfishness of wanting to have a fulfilling life with her father and her sister going against her promise to protect the protagonist at all costs, and states that she will now move forward on her own, evolving Anat and Johanna into Agnes.

If the protagonist chooses to accept Maruki's reality, it becomes the true reality, and Makoto will graduate from Shujin on March 15 alongside Haru. During the credits, a man (revealed to be the Niijima sisters' father) can be seen serving dinner for his family in the Thieves Den.

A few weeks after the protagonist's release from prison following Maruki and the restoration of their reality, the Phantom Thieves then gathered at Leblanc with Sojiro participating in their meeting. Having been inspired by her experiences in the other reality, Makoto, along with Haru, revealed they will be moving far away after graduation to find new places to stay for their college years. She agreed with the Phantom Thieves to remain connected while they move forward with their futures.

After the group helped the protagonist evade the authorities who attempted to follow him back to his hometown (with the assistance of the reformed Maruki who now works as a taxi driver), Makoto is seen with Sae as they browsed over her accommodation options outside a real estate shop. The two of them disagreed over her options and have started arguing with each other for the first time before shortly laughing after, a sign of how much Makoto has matured after joining the Phantom Thieves.

Persona 5 Strikers
Makoto is now a college student who is getting used to her new life. At some point after the protagonist's departure, she eventually witnessed Haru's driving firsthand and became terrified.

Six months after the protagonist and Morgana's departure, the Phantom Thieves planned to reunite in Tokyo and go on a camping trip together during their summer vacation. While discussing their camping trip, they use a popular mobile app called EMMA to look for their camping equipment and everything else that is necessary for their trip. However, after regrouping, they learn of the existence of a new Metaverse-related incident involving a fashion designer and idol known as Alice Hiiragi using an alternate reality known as a Jail overlaid onto Shibuya to mesmerize the public to her. Knowing the threat, they all decide to investigate, re-establishing the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

During their investigation on Alice, they are approached by a police officer named Zenkichi Hasegawa, who saved them from drunkards before inviting himself to Leblanc so he can speak with the Phantom Thieves. His presence is welcomed negatively by the group, with Haru making it clear that they hate police and distrusts him, much to his dismay. Zenkichi reveals that the Phantom Thieves are the prime suspects of the new change of heart incidents, even if that incident was instigated by Alice, and he offers them a deal to clear their names in exchange that they work together with him. They reject his offer, and instead focus on changing Alice's heart. However, their plan backfires as her confession has made the police convinced that the Phantom Thieves are involved, leaving the group no choice but to accept Zenkichi's offer. Only by this notification, the Phantom Thieves knew that the incident was Japan-wide, and Alice was only the tip of the iceberg within it.

Makoto and her friends take Zenkichi's deal, with her reminding the officer about the basics of conspirators. After Zenkichi suggested getting their own ride, Sojiro managed to acquire an RV for the group. Makoto served as the group's primary driver, as she was not comfortable with letting Haru drive. During their venture into Okinawa's Jail, its initially eerie nature scared Makoto to the point that she ended up clinging to the protagonist's leg.

During the trip back to Kyoto, Makoto becomes exhausted, reluctantly allowing Haru control of the wheel despite knowing of her dangerous driving. Haru managed to drive the group back within a single morning despite nauseating and terrifying them. When the group is warned by Zenkichi of a trap at the inn they're staying at, Makoto decides to contact Sae to help get Zenkichi out of jail. Makoto updates her sister on the recent events, which ends up saving the group from Shadow Akane's trap.

Persona 5 The Animation
Makoto makes a brief cameo in the second episode talking to some students in the hall. She makes her full appearance in the fifth episode, being ordered by Principal Kobayakawa to investigate the connection between the Phantom Thieves "prank" and Kamoshida's confession.

Persona 5 Mementos Mission
Makoto appears throughout the manga series. During the fourth Chapter, Makoto reveals when she was out shopping she bumped into a man, which dropped their identical bags. In the confusion Makoto grabbed his bag by mistake, which contained an expensive jeweled bracelet not sold at the store the bag originated from. Makoto held onto it, intent on returning it to its owner. Jokingly Ann puts the bracelet on Makoto's wrist, where it's revealed that due to the special locking mechanism, it can't come off. Ren takes Makoto to Untouchable so Iwai could remove it. He tells the duo the job can be done, however he needs a special assortment of tools shipped in to do it. To cover the bracelet, Makoto has begun wearing sports tape around both her wrists.

While investigating another Phan-Site request, Makoto and Haru go undercover at a maid café to get close to the student being abused. During this time, an assortment of criminals has targeted Makoto, knowing she has the bracelet.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
Makoto is a member of the default party along with Haru Okumura. Her Persona, Johanna, has Diarama, an advanced healing skill. Just like Haru, her starting level is much higher than the other party members. The girls are kidnapped by an F.O.E at the start of the game, who hands them over to Kamoshidaman for the crime of disrupting the peace of Kamocity. Makoto is able to give the party clues to weakening Kamoshidaman. After Kamoshidaman is defeated, the two girls are freed and permanently join the party.

According to a Special Screening, her father taught her and Sae aikido, but she has never been physically stronger than her elder sister.

Trivia

 * Makoto doesn't like her mask.
 * In addition she, while wandering through Mementos, complains about her Phantom Thief attire as well.
 * Queen is given the role of "Phantom Thieves' Advisor" for her wisdom.
 * Makoto is the only party member to have a pair of summoning poses in battle. The first is when she has Johanna or Agnes, where she "rides" her Persona, while her second is with Anat, which unlike Johanna and Agnes has a humanoid form.
 * During the first scripted battle with Makoto when she awakens, if there is no empty spot, she directly takes Ryuji or Morgana's place (Morgana taking priority) to ensure highest probability of teaching the player about Technical combinations via Nuke, as Morgana cannot afflict ailments and Ryuji's low Magic stat makes Zio unlikely to be used.
 * Her summer uniform's collar has the letters B and J embroidered on it. This is a reference to, two pillars found at the mouth of Solomon's Temple in ancient Jerusalem. These twin pillars are also depicted in the Tarot's Priestess Arcana, and are referenced with the letters "B" and "J" seen on the breasts of the boss in Persona 3.
 * Additionally, her third-tier Persona, Agnes, has the letters B and J on its sides.
 * In the Japanese version, Ryuji and Haru both nickname Makoto "Champion of Century's End" the first time they see her Metaverse outfit and Persona, a reference of  title from the Fist of the North Star series. Makoto and Raoh are both specialized in fist fighting and use a mount. This was changed to "Post-Apocalyptic Raider" in the English localization.
 * In the English localization, Ryuji calls her the "Fist of the Phantom Star."
 * Ryuji and Futaba teased Makoto's violent act on foes as "Fist of Justice" . Before departure of summer trip in Persona 5 Strikers, Ann told Zenkichi that "We've got Makoto to ensure that if [the boys] were to do something she'll unleash her Fist of Justice." (真もいるし、何かあったら鉄拳制裁だし. ) Later in Kyoto, Makoto directly treated the four other boys who didn't pay attention to the gender-segregated serving time of the hot spring as voyeurs and unleashed Fist of Justice on the spot.
 * Her "Showtime" move with Ryuji in Royal and her C6 attack in Strikers are further references to Fist of the North Star, during which Makoto performs moves in direct reference to the infamous "Hundred Rending Fists" technique.
 * Her dance moves in Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight are largely combined with punches and kicks, similar to Akihiko Sanada in Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Chie Satonaka in Persona 4: Dancing All Night.
 * Her dream of becoming a police officer also coincides with the above two, as Akihiko decided to join the police in the ending of P4AU, and Chie has already become a police officer mentioned in Persona 5.
 * Makoto's Metaverse outfit, especially her scarf, can be seen as a reference to Kamen Rider, especially those from the Showa Period. The reference is heightened further by Johanna's motorcycle appearance. "Rider" is also one of the suggested nicknames for her.
 * Makoto also shares the same pronunciation of her given name with Makoto Fukami from Kamen Rider Ghost.
 * During the time after stealing the treasure of Madarame but before deadline, if the protagonist went back home manually rather than traverse back through the map, one can see Makoto following the protagonist all along the street after school with a comic book as disguise. Sometimes the book is upside-down.
 * She apparently has a fondness for Buchimaru-kun merchandise, even though it's no longer sold. This is revealed when Eiko Takao notices her pencil case is a Buchimaru-kun (and a rather old at that.)
 * In the group text after she awakens her Persona, Ryuji says that it's just like that song "I'm a phantom, on a steel horse I ride...", and Makoto follows up with saying that she's not "wanted," referencing the Bon Jovi hit .
 * The official Twitter account for the Persona series posted a "Happy Birthday" message for Makoto on April 23, 2017 JST. Her birthday was the first to be announced out of the main cast.
 * Makoto's birthday is the same day as Reading Day or . This has been pointed out by the previously mentioned Twitter account in a follow-up Tweet after announcing her birthday.
 * On 7/30, the protagonist can go with Makoto to watch a yakuza themed movie called "Like a Dragon," and Makoto seems to be fond of its genre. This is a reference to the Yakuza series of video games by Sega (in Japan called ' which literally translates to "Like a Dragon"). The first game in the series also got a movie adaptation ', or Yakuza: Like a Dragon (known in Japan as.
 * The movie was also mentioned by Makoto in Persona Q2 during a cutscene in the fourth labyrinth. According to her, that was her favorite movie. Hikari has watched it before and was fond of it as well.
 * Additional references to the Yakuza series can be found in Persona 5 Strikers. On 7/26, the protagonist can walk up to Makoto outside a toy store and interact with her, prompting the line, “So, ‘Dragon: Like a Yakuza’ is out? *sigh* I can’t just go by myself though....” This references the most recent title in the Yakuza franchise, Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Additionally, on 8/24 in Osaka, Makoto can be found on Ebisu Bridge commenting on how she was at the location where "that guy got shot," likely an allusion to the stabbing of Yakuza protagonist Kazuma Kiryu during the events of the second game.
 * There are 813 books in Makoto's room as seen in Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, as well as her third awakening in Persona 5 Royal.
 * A glimpse of Makoto and Sae's father can be seen during the bad ending in Persona 5 Royal when the protagonist accepts Takuto Maruki's ideal reality.