Japanese Shrine Popularised By Ghost Of Tsushima Has Banned Tourists

A shrine on Japan’s Tsushima Island has banned all tourists from visiting after an “unforgivable” incident involving a tourist (nice spot, and thanks for the translation, Automaton).

The Watazumi Shrine on Tsushima is famed for its half-sunken torii gates. The shrine is believed to have inspired the Scarlet Rock Shrine from Ghost of Tsushima – a shrine that features a torii gate half-sunken into a swamp. The Watazumi Shrine was damaged by a typhoon in 2020, and Ghost of Tsushima fans were instrumental in raising $180k to repair a damaged torii gate (per Famitsu).

Grave & Unforgivable Acts

Unfortunately, a benevolent act by overseas fans has been overshadowed by a recent incident which has prompted Watazumi Shrine officials to ban all tourists from visiting the shrine. This decision was made due to “a grave and unforgivable act of disrespect committed by foreigners,” according to announcements made by the shrine’s social media accounts.

Watazumi Shrine had already banned Korean visitors from visiting due to repeated problematic behaviour. Given the bulk of visitors to the shrine had been Korean, this was likely more of a quantity issue. However, all tourists have now been banned from the shrine following an unspecified troubling incident that occurred a few days ago.

The notice bans both domestic and international visitors (who aren’t there to worship) but directs particular ire towards foreign visitors, saying “Inbound tourism’s destruction of places, things, and people cherished by the Japanese is nothing less than the destruction of Japanese culture.”

This news is particularly topical given the conversation around Japanese shrines and sacred places in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Before Shadows was released, a video of a player smashing furniture inside a shrine surfaced online, prompting shrine officials to publicly disapprove of their shrine’s inclusion in the game. A day-one patch for Assassin’s Creed Shadows removed the ability to destroy shrines. You’re also gently discouraged from climbing torii gates in-game.

Despite the various controversies and delays, Assassin’s Creed Shadows appears to be a massive success for Ubisoft, selling more physical copies in three days than Star Wars Outlaws managed in three months. Ubisoft has thanked fans for their “love and positivity” following the positive reception of Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

As for Ghost of Yotei, there hasn’t been any more official news about the game since Sucker Punch announced it would release sometime in 2025.

Systems

Released

July 17, 2020

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity