Japanese PM Responds To ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Shrine Controversy With Concern Towards Possible Copycat Attacks
While many have taken issue with various aspects of Ubisoft’s newest release, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishida says that his main concern regarding Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the possibility that a mentally unwell individual will seek to replicate the in-game ability to destroy a prominent Shinto Shrine real world.
As previously reported, one of the many historical locations that players can visit during Naoe and Yasuke’s adventure is the Itatehyozu-jinja Shrine, a Shinto religious site in the Hyogo prefecture that is said to have been established in 564 as the earthly home of first the local Gods of Matchmaking/Nation-Building (Hyouzu-no-Ohkami) and Planting Trees/Achieving Victory And Happiness (Itate-no-Ohkami) and eventually the totality of the region’s 174 resident deities.
But more than just visiting the Shrine’s feudal incarnation and taking in the sights, players can choose to take advantage of Assassin’s Creed Shadows widely destructible environments and go on a rampage within its walls, destroying its sacred artifacts and beating any and all present into a pulp.
Sparking outrage among some Japanese individuals, most notably its real-life caretakers and Hyogo Prefectural Assembly Member Takeshi Nagase, the Itatehyozu-jinja Shrine’s potential for destruction in Shadows has now been brought to the attention of the country’s current governmental head, the aforementioned Ishida.
Per a report by Kanji Takahashi of the Japanese news outlet IT Media, during the March 19th assembly of the country’s National Diet, Hyogo Representative Hiroyuki Kada raised “the Assassin’s Creed issue” to his fellow lawmakers.
“In the game, a shrine that appears under its real name features a scene where the protagonist, a samurai, destroys a taiko drum, a sacred mirror, and an altar inside the main shrine hall,” he explained, per a translation of Takahashi’s article provided by ChatGPT. “The protagonist can also attack a figure resembling a Shinto priest with a sword and shoot arrows at them, engaging in reckless violence. When I spoke to the shrine’s chief priest, he confirmed that the game company had never contacted them for permission to use the shrine’s name.”
The first to respond to Kada was Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Masaki Ogushi, who informed his colleague that “When using intellectual property for commercial purposes, it is necessary to obtain permission from the individuals or organizations that hold the rights. While each case has unique circumstances and should be resolved between the involved parties, if the shrine seeks consultation, we will coordinate with relevant ministries to ensure an appropriate response.”
Agreeing that “unauthorized use is unacceptable” and promising that he would “continue to monitor this issue,” Kada next moved to discuss his “fear that the unauthorized depiction of locations being attacked or destroyed in the game could lead to real-life imitation.”
“The chief priest and other stakeholders also expressed concerns about this,” he noted. “Of course, freedom of expression must be respected, but actions that belittle local cultures should be avoided.”
From there, Kada directly pressed Ishida for his thoughts on “acts in games that belittle other cultures and the associated tourism-related issues,” to which the Prime Minister assured him, “We will discuss the legal aspects 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 absolutely unacceptable,” he added. “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.”
Ultimately agreeing with the Prime Minister, Kada concluded, “We must respect both tangible and intangible cultural traditions. This game allows players to destroy Japan’s cultural sites without permission.”
“In past titles of the series, landmarks in other countries could not be destroyed,” he asserted. “Why is Japan being singled out? That is another issue that raises questions.”
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