Real-Life Shrine Linked To Ghost Of Tsushima Forbids Tourists Following Incident - Report

A Shinto shrine that's believed to have influenced a similar location in Ghost of Tsushima has reportedly banned tourists after an undisclosed incident involving foreigners. Named Watazumi Shrine, the Japanese site is found on Tsushima Island, which sits to the southeast of South Korea.

Automaton reports that an official announcement by Watazumi Shrine on Instagram revealed the ban, stating it's taking effect because of "a grave and unforgivable act of disrespect committed by foreigner(s)." No further details were given about the incident, though this apparently isn't the first time problems have occurred at the site. It's believed that Watazumi Shrine was the inspiration for Ghost of Tsushima's Scarlet Rock Shrine.

This connection supposedly led to Ghost of Tsushima fans donating to Watazumi Shrine after it was damaged by a typhoon in 2020, per Famitsu. However, to be clear, there is no indication that the incident is in any way related to the PlayStation game's fanbase. This isn't the only shrine controversy in video games. Ubisoft recently updated Assassin's Creed Shadows so that players could no longer destroy items within shrines in the game, which is set in 16th-century Japan.

Ghost of Tsushima originally launched on PS4 and PS5 in 2020, before coming to PC last year. The game is getting an anime adaptation and a movie has been in development with Johh Wick director Chad Shahelski. Meanwhile, developer Sucker Punch is working on a sequel called Ghost of Tokei.