Japanese Politician Calls On National Diet To Condemn Ubisoft And ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Over In-Game Ability To Destroy Real-World Shinto Shrine: “Can We Really Excuse This Just Because It’s A Game?”
In the latest escalation of Japan’s ongoing cultural battle with Ubisoft, a local politician has called on the country’s national legislature to firmly and directly speak out against the fact that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will players to physically thrash an in-game recreation of a prominent, real-world Shinto shrine, particularly as he believes this instance of player freedom insults “the dignity of our nation and its traditions.”
As previously reported, the religious site in question is the Itatehyozu-jinja Shrine, otherwise known as the Harima-no-Kuni Soja.
Located in Japan’s Hyogo prefecture, the shrine is one of the area’s most important Shinto-related sites, having been established in 564 as the home of the local Gods of Matchmaking/Nation-Building (Hyouzu-no-Ohkami) and Planting Trees/Achieving Victory And Happiness (Itate-no-Ohkami) before later coming to enshrine all the region’s 174 deities in 1811.
As first discovered by attendees of a January preview event, not only can players visit the shrine, but thanks to the ‘environmental destruction’ features of Shadows engine, they can also voluntarily choose to tear everything and everyone within it to absolute pieces.
To this end, its potential for destruction soon drew the ire of the its current caretakers, who when subsequently asked about the situation by Japanese news outlet Sankei Shimbun declared, “We will take appropriate action” (however, they did not provide any specific details as to what these ‘actions’ may entail).
Further pressed as to whether or not there had been attempts by Ubisoft to contact them regarding their use of the shrine’s image, they explained, “No. If there had been, we would have refused.”
As a result of the Sankei Shimbun article, the situation surrounding the Itatehyzou-jinja Shrine eventually came to the attention of Hyogo Prefectural Assembly Member Takeshi Nagase.
Finding himself unhappy with the site’s depiction in Shadows, Nagase took to his personal YouTube channel on February 24th and publicly pled with his own Liberal Democratic Party, whose ranks currently hold majority control over both chambers of the country’s main legislative body, the National Diet, to speak out against the ‘cultural disrespect’ being offered by Ubisoft.
“Today, I would like to talk about how the hearts of us Japanese people are being trampled upon,” began Nagase, as machine translated with assistance from both DeepL and ChatGPT. “Have you heard of the game Assassin’s Creed Shadows, created by the French game company Ubisoft? This game unfolds its story using real Japanese shrines and temples as its setting. The shrines and Buddhist temples depicted in the game’s background are all faithfully recreated in CG, accurately reflecting their current appearance. The game also beautifully portrays seasonal changes and other details with great skill. However, the problem lies in the storyline.”
“The protagonist of this game behaves in an extremely violent and outrageous manner, attacking passing monks with a sword and shooting arrows at people for no reason,” recapped the politician. “The biggest issue in this game’s depiction is the Harima-no-Kuni Soja Shrine in Himeji City. In the game, this shrine’s main hall serves as a key location for the protagonist’s actions. However, the protagonist is shown barging in with shoes on, decapitating people, and committing unspeakable atrocities—including destroying sacred mirrors and causing complete havoc.”
“To us, such scenes are unthinkable,” Nagase then declared. “Can we really excuse this just because it’s a game? Can we dismiss it as entertainment? Rights that are not asserted will be lost. If something is offensive or unacceptable, we must clearly express our objections. Japan is actively engaging with many foreign visitors, working to increase inbound tourism. But not everything about internationalization is positive. We must clearly state what is unacceptable. The government, local politicians like us, and most importantly, our National Diet members must raise our voices on this issue. As the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a conservative ruling party, we bear a responsibility to uphold the dignity of our nation and its traditions.”
From there, the Hyogo-based politician’s video cuts to a discussion between himself and one of the caretakers associated with the shrine, a man identified (to the best of BIC’s limited Japanese capabilities) as Mr. Nishimoto, regarding the Shadows controversy.
Asked by Nagase for his overall read of the situation, Mr. Nishimoto asserted, “Well, this shrine is a place that represents Japanese culture. Seeing such images being spread around is, first and foremost, deeply regrettable. There are people who come to pray here every day. If those people saw such scenes, it would surely disturb and sadden them. When I think about that, it’s truly heartbreaking.”
“I completely understand your frustration,” replied Nagase. “We must convey this issue to the government and ensure that people around the world understand our concerns. This shrine has been a beloved place for generations, and we must ensure that its legacy is not tarnished by such depictions. When people misrepresent Japan’s culture out of curiosity or ignorance, we must stand up and firmly reject it.”
Agreeing with his guest, Mr. Nishomoto affirmed, “Exactly, This isn’t just about the shrine itself. For us Japanese people, shrines hold a profound cultural and spiritual significance. Depicting them in a disrespectful manner—committing acts of destruction, trampling sacred grounds with shoes, violating sacred spaces—This is something we cannot tolerate.”
Next, the politician can be seen posing the same question to Masayasu Sawada, the head priest of the nearby Yuzuruha Shrine and the head of the Hyogo Prefectural Shinto Political League.
“Fundamentally, I believe that Western societies, particularly Europeans, lack respect for other religions,” said Sawada. “Deep down, they may still hold subtle prejudices against non-Western cultures. This lack of respect for our spiritual traditions is now showing itself openly. Even if they claim it wasn’t intentional, the fact remains that they have depicted such acts of destruction. That alone is unacceptable.”
“I completely agree,” concluded Nagase. “As members of the Liberal Democratic Party, both in Hyogo Prefecture and at the national level, we must clearly state that such things are unacceptable. This is not just about gaming—it’s about protecting our cultural heritage.”
As of writing, Nagase has yet to offer any specific details as to just how he plans to raise the issue of Assassin’s Creed Shadows treatment of the Itatehyozu-jinja Shrine to the National Diet, nor whether he will do so before or after the game hits shelves on March 20th.
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