Why is everyone giving me tissues?

In Yazuka 0, I often see people with the 'You can talk to' bubble above their head.

Being a good open world player and wanting to get all the quests, I talk to them, just to be given tissues that seem to have no use.

So... why is everybody giving me tissues?

2 Answers

It should be related to real-life Tissue-pack marketing:

Tissue-pack marketing (ティッシュ配り) is a type of guerrilla marketing that is a phenomenon in Japan. Companies use small, portable tissue packages to move advertising copy directly into consumers' hands. About 4 billion of these packages of tissues are distributed on the streets annually in Japan—largely outside of subway stations. This industry generates sales in the range of ¥75 billion annually.

After doing a quick search around the Steam Discussions regarding this item, it seems the tissues have no use. You can give them to a certain police officer if you're searched, but you can hand nearly any item to him so it's not unique in this regard.

According to the forums I read, tissues are a common item in Japan so it would make sense that everyone would have one on-hand to give to you - even if you can't make use of it in-game.