Japan’s government recently convened to discuss a series of topics in a Diet, one of which was the recent controversy surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The game’s more scandalous scenes have showcased Yasuke, an African samurai, destroying shrines, sequences which have naturally prompted concerns in the Japanese government.
In a recent discussion, Japan’s Prime Minister voiced a strict response to these concerns, answering points raised by other party members suggesting that ‘imitation attacks’ could occur in real life.
‘Absolutely Unacceptable’
Hiroyuki Kata, a Lib Dem party member, brought up the topic of shrine destruction in Assassin’s Creed Shadows at a recent Diet, putting questions to the nation’s Prime Minister.
He explained:
I’d like to ask about the Assassin’s Creed issue.
In the game, the samurai protagonist smashes drums, sacred mirrors, and altars inside the worship hall of a shrine that appears under its real name. He slashes at people who appear to be priests, shoots arrows, and engages in other violent mayhem. When I asked the chief priest, he said that the game company had not contacted the shrine to ask for permission to use the name.
The politician floated the suggestion that imitation attacks might take place at real shrines across Japan and that other concerns, like ‘tourist pollution’, were also being considered. These details were reported by ITMedia (picked up by Dexerto).
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.
It is natural to have respect for the culture and religion of a country, and I think it is important to send out the message that we will not tolerate any behavior that does not respect the culture and religion of a country and will not tolerate it.
It was suggested that such wanton destruction of culturally significant facilities wasn’t replicated in any other Assassin’s Creed title, prompting further worries from the Japanese government. The comments made by the Prime Minister and other party members are not indicative of any further action.
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