Real-Life Japanese Shrine That Appeared in Ghost of Tsushima Bans All Tourists After 'Grave and Unforgivable Act of Disrespect'

After Japan’s Prime Minister responded to questions astir Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and the hazard of copycat "defacing" of shrines, the shrine linked to Ghost of Tsushima has banned each tourists aft an "unforgivable enactment of disrespect."

Automaton reported connected the Watazumi Shrine, a real-life Shinto shrine located connected Japan’s Tsushima Island, which announced it had banned introduction to anyone different than congregants and worshippers aft what it called “a sedate and unforgivable enactment of disrespect committed by foreigner(s).”

Ghost of Tsushima brought worldwide attraction upon the Watazumi Shrine upon its merchandise successful 2020, arsenic it is thought to person inspired the in-game Scarlet Rock Shrine. As Automaton reported, Ghost of Tsushima fans launched a palmy crowdfunding run to assistance rise wealth to repair damages suffered by the shrine during a typhoon.

The Scarlet Rock Shrine successful Ghost of Tsushima.

Officials didn’t spell into item connected this latest incident, but mentioned having to telephone the constabulary to woody with vandalism and the carnal and verbal maltreatment of staff. “Inbound tourism’s demolition of places, things, and radical cherished by the Japanese is thing little than the demolition of Japanese culture,” Automaton quoted shrine officials arsenic saying.

The incidental comes blistery connected the heels of the arguable motorboat of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows successful Japan. Shadows, which similar Ghost of Tsushima is acceptable successful Feudal Japan, launched past week alongside a day-one spot that softly made a fig of important changes, including to temples and shrines.

The update made tables and racks successful temples and shrines indestructible, and changed citizens without weapons truthful they nary longer bleed erstwhile attacked and frankincense trim humor spill successful temples and shrines.

Ubisoft told IGN the day-one spot was for each players and not Japan-specific, but was hard to spot the changes arsenic thing but a effect to the contention surrounding the crippled successful the country.

That contention adjacent reached the precocious echelons of Japanese politics. Last week, Shigeru Ishiba, the Prime Minister of Japan, responded to a question astir Assassin’s Creed Shadows during an authoritative authorities league meeting.

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows question was asked by Japanese person and subordinate of the House of Councillors of Japan, Hiroyuki Kada. Kada, who volition run for re-election this summer, said:

“I fearfulness that allowing players to onslaught and destruct real-world locations successful the crippled without support could promote akin behaviour successful existent life. Shrine officials and section residents are besides disquieted astir this. Of course, state of look indispensable beryllium respected, but acts that demean section cultures should beryllium avoided.”

Prime Minister Ishiba responded:

“How to code this legally is thing we request to sermon with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Defacing a shrine is retired of the question - it is an insult to the federation itself. When the Self-Defense Forces were deployed to Samawah, Iraq, we ensured they studied Islamic customs beforehand. Respecting the civilization and religion of a state is fundamental, and we indispensable marque it wide that we volition not simply judge acts that disregard them.”

The shrine being “defaced” successful pre-release Assassin's Creed Shadows gameplay videos was the Itatehyozu Shrine successful Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, which is wrong Kada’s constituency. He said that helium had consulted with representatives of the shrine, who confirmed that Ubisoft did not question their support to amusement the shrine and usage its sanction successful the game.

As our colleagues astatine IGN Japan explained to america past week, Japan has seen grounds numbers of overseas visitors successful the aftermath of the state reopening its borders aft the pandemic and the lure of the anemic yen. In this authorities fund gathering the person Hiroyuki Kada twinned his complaints against Shadows with the arguable taxable of what helium called “over tourism” and an attendant perceived emergence successful vandalism and graffiti successful Japan.

His statement was that if players were capable to deface a temple oregon harm individuals with a katana successful the game, they whitethorn beryllium inspired to bash it successful existent beingness erstwhile they sojourn Japan, akin to the age-old statement that Call of Duty oregon Grand Theft Auto animate copycat violence.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba responded that if specified actions were taken successful existent life, helium would reason them. His comments were aimed astatine theoretical real-life copycat actions alternatively than astatine the crippled itself.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine wesley_yinpoole@ign.com oregon confidentially astatine wyp100@proton.me.