In the midst of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows release “controversies,” it appears the Japanese government is poised to protect their shrines and sacred spots from foreign tourists. One of the shrines, called Watazumi Shrine, was even recently closed off to tourists after an incident involving foreigners. However, it wasn’t Assassin’s Creed: Shadows that was involved in the shrine’s closure, but rather its competition, Ghost of Tsushima.
The report came from the official Instagram page of the aforementioned shrine, though the original text is written in Japanese. The real-life Watazumi Shrine is now prohibited from anyone other than congregants and worshippers starting from March 23. The announcement on the Instagram page cites “A grave and unforgivable act of disrespect committed by foreigners” as the primary reason for the tourist ban, thanks to Automaton Media’s translations.
It’s not clear what exactly the officials meant by the “act of disrespect,” but it appears the issue has been brewing for a while, with locals complaining about vandalism, problematic tourist behavior, and even verbal abuse against the shrine staff.
For the record, Watazumi Shrine is also a prominent in-game spot in Ghost of Tsushima’s main map. Watazumi Shrine was badly damaged by a typhoon in 2020 but Ghost of Tsushima fans and players have pitched in with their donations and this helped renovate the shrine back to its former glory. A total of 27 million yen ($180,000 USD) was raised in the crowdfunding campaign, which was bolstered by Ghost of Tsushima‘s popularity.
Now, however, Watazumi Shrine appears to have been damaged once more, but this time by human hands and not a typhoon. Consequently, it might have been the Ghost of Tsushima‘s popularity that also boosted foreign tourism to Watazumi Shrine.
Japan’s Government is Worried for Its Shrines
It appears that Watazumi Shrine could simply be the first among many sacred locations in Japan for which the government is worried. In a recent meeting, Japan’s Prime Minister and the Parliament discussed the matter and even mentioned Assassin’s Creed: Shadows—particularly how Ubisoft could further invite destructive foreign tourists who might then disrespect places of worship, just like what happened in Watazumi Shrine.
The Japanese government is fully aware of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows’ potential effects on their culture, especially since Ghost of Tsushima also made quite an impression on Watazumi Shrine (both positive and negative). Hence, politicians are also worried that Assassin’s Creed: Shadows’s allowing players to wreck symbols of Japanese culture could set a negative precedent.
