Japan’s Government Worried About ‘Imitation Attacks’ Based on Assassin’s Creed Shadows

by

As a gamer, I’ve been following the recent discussions in Japan’s Diet about various topics, one of which is the uproar over Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The game’s controversial scenes featuring Yasuke, an African samurai, depicting the destruction of shrines have understandably sparked concerns within the Japanese government.

During a recent conversation, Japan’s Prime Minister offered a firm rebuttal to the expressed worries, addressing arguments made by fellow political figures regarding potential real-world instances of ‘copycat attacks’.

‘Absolutely Unacceptable’

Greetings here, I’m one of the many passionate fans of the Assassin’s Creed series. Just like Hiroyuki Kata, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, I recently felt compelled to voice my concerns about the destruction of shrines in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. In a recent Diet meeting, I posed questions directly to our nation’s Prime Minister, seeking clarity and understanding on this matter.

He explained:

I’d like to ask about the Assassin’s Creed issue.

In this video game, the main character, a samurai, destroys drums, holy mirrors, and altars within a worship hall, which bears its actual temple name. He attacks individuals who seem like priests, fires arrows, and indulges in various acts of violence. When I inquired about it, the temple’s head priest mentioned that they had not received contact from the game company regarding the use of their name.

A political figure proposed an idea that potential copycat assaults could occur at actual temples throughout Japan. Additionally, they mentioned other matters such as ‘tourism-related contamination’ were under review. This information was shared by ITMedia and later reported by Dexterto.

By way of a response, the nation’s Prime Minister, Ishiba Shigeru, said:

It is absolutely unacceptable to graffiti a shrine. It is nothing but an insult to the country.

Showing reverence for a nation’s culture and faith is a common sense approach, and I firmly believe that it’s crucial to convey our stance against actions that disregard or disrespect these aspects of a country’s identity. We strongly condemn such behavior and will not tolerate it.

It was proposed that this excessive damage to culturally important sites, unlike anything seen in other Assassin’s Creed games, raised additional concerns within the Japanese government. However, the statements from the Prime Minister and other political figures do not suggest any imminent actions will be taken.

Read More

2025-03-19 18:48