Japan's prime minister is mad about Assassin's Creed Shadows

Ahead of the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, has discussed the contents of the title in parliament, raising the question with other top government officials on how to respond to some of the contents seen within the title.

For those who don't know, Assassin's Creed Shadows is based in fueduel Japan, and leading up to the release of the title, the game has been put under the microscope following Ubisoft officials saying it was based on historical fact.

The depictions of real-world locations and what players can do within those locations have now made their way to Japan's government, with Japan's Prime Minister now responding to a question posed by a member of the House of Councillors of Japan, Hiroyuki Kada, who pointed to the segment of the game where players can attack and destroy the contents of religious sites such as the Itatehyouzu Shrine.

Kada goes on to say he spoke to the real-life shrine priest and asked if Ubisoft reached out for permission to use the use shrine within Shadows, to which the priest said no, Ubisoft didn't get any kind of permission. Additionally, Kada says Ubisoft didn't get permission to use other significant cultural places, such as Nara's Todai-ji, other shrines, and ancient burial mounds.

Japan's Vice Minister of Economy responded, "In general game policy, when real-world names or properties are used commercially, you need permission from whoever holds those rights - be it individuals or organizations. That's my understanding."

Another big concern from Kada is the potential for these acts of violence against Japan's religious sites to be carried out in real life by tourists, especially considering the massive influx of tourism Japan is experiencing due to the yen being weak and the country's borders now reopening following the pandemic. Kada says the chief priests of shrines share these concerns.

Kada goes on to use an analogy to summarize how he and many other Japanese people feel about the contents of Shadows, "Take, for example, something like a place revered and cherished for centuries - say Notre Dame in France, or the Qur'an in Islam. If footage showed them being disrespected, how would people there feel? You don't even need to ask."

Prime Minister Ishiba responded to the questions by Kada, saying that if such actions were carried out at real-life landmarks in Japan, he would oppose them. He said that acts such as shrines being graffitied are completely out of the question, which was in reference to a real life act from November 2024. As for Shadows, Ishiba said he wants to work out the legal proceedings with the respective government bodies.

"How to address this legally is something we need to discuss 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 out of the question - it is an insult to the nation itself. When the Self-Defense Forces were deployed to Samawah, Iraq, we ensured they studied Islamic customs beforehand. Respecting the culture and religion of a country is fundamental, and we must make it clear that we will not simply accept acts that disregard them," responded Prime Minister Ishiba