Japanese Shrine Featured In ‘Ghost Of Tsushima’ Announces Full Tourism Ban After An “Unacceptable Act Of Disrespect Was Committed By Foreigners”
It was only a matter of time until Japan’s current currency struggles led to such an event, but sadly, a popular Japanese shrine known for its appearance in Ghost of Tsushima has announced that in light of an “act of disrespect” being committed against its property, all tourists both domestic and foreign will be prohibited from visiting the religious site for the foreseeable future.
Known in English as the Watazumi Shrine, the location in question is a dedicated Shinto shrine found in the city of Tsushima in Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture, just on the shores of Aso Bay.
Currently serving as the earthly home of Hoori, the Shinto God of Grain, and his wife Toyotama-hime, the daughter of the Sea God Watatsumi who notably possesses the ability to turn into a dragon, this specific Shrine is perhaps best known to Westerners for its appearance in the aforementioned Ghost of Tsushima, wherein it served as the real-world inspiration for the game’s fictional Scarlet Rock Shrine (though here, it is dedicated not to Hoori or Toyotama-hime, but rather Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, the God of the Moon).
Unfortunately for both the Shrine itself and fans of the game, recent events have made it so that, at least for the time being, no tourists may actually visit its grounds.
Announcing the restriction via a post made to the Shrine’s official Instagram account on March 23rd, its current caretakers informed the public that “Starting today, entry to the shrine grounds will be restricted to shrine parishioners and supporters only.”
“Additionally, all photography, video recording, live streaming, and similar activities are prohibited, including of the torii gate in the sea, as well as the shrine buildings and other structures,” their post further explained, as machine translated by ChatGPT. “Furthermore, we will no longer allow entry for sightseeing purposes, including domestic and international bus tours.”
As to the reason for this visitation ban, the caretakers explained, “at approximately 4:00 PM on March 22nd (Saturday), a highly serious and unacceptable act of disrespect was carried out by a foreign individual,” though they unfortunately did not provide any details as to the specific nature of said act.
“Despite repeatedly consulting with the city hall, the tourism association, and the Nagasaki Prefectural Police, no resolution has been reached,” they added. “Our staff, in addition to enduring the unbearable emotional distress caused by the desecration of the sacred grounds, has also been subjected to repeated verbal abuse and violence, which has led us to feel that the management of the shrine is at risk.”
Bringing their initial message to a close, the caretakers affirmed, “The destruction of places, things, and people that Japanese people have cherished by inbound tourism is nothing less than the collapse of Japanese culture. We express our deep regret and, in order to protect the shrine and the hearts of the people, we will take action.”
Following a rash of media inquiries regarding the situation, the Shrine staff would make a follow-up post declaring that “We are not accepting any interviews. We are simply conveying what should be a matter of course.”
“A ‘supporter’ (崇敬者) is someone who visits the shrine with a sincere reverence and respect for the deity. Those with such a heart are welcome to visit freely,” said the Watazumi Shrine caretakers. “As for photographs and such, those who have a respectful heart are welcome to take pictures. When asked, we simply respond with ‘please feel free.’ Conversely, those who view the shrine only as a theme park or a place for Instagram-worthy photos, without any intention to truly pay respects, are not considered supporters. Please make your judgement according to your own heart.”
Interestingly, the Watazumi Shrine’s need to restrict visitors comes at roughly the same time that the issue of the Itatehyozu-jinja Shrine’s potential for destruction in Assassin’s Creed Shadows has begun to draw government attention.
Speaking to the issue during a recent assembly of the country’s National Diet, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba asserted that while the contents of the game itself were of little concern to him, he was worried about the potential for mentally unwell individuals to carry out ‘copycat’ attacks in real life.
“Defacing a shrine is absolutely unacceptable,” said Ishiba. “Such actions are nothing less than an insult to the nation.”
“When we deployed the Self-Defense Forces to Samawah, Iraq, we asked them to learn about Islamic customs beforehand,” Ishida then recalled. “It is only natural to show respect for a country’s culture and religion. If disrespectful acts occur, it is important to speak out and make it clear that we will not tolerate them.”
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