Japanese lawmaker slams new Assassin s Creed game for stoking nuisance behaviour

TOKYO – A Japanese lawmaker on March 19 slammed the latest video game in the hit “Assassin’s Creed” series, complaining that a samurai character destroys the interior of a Shinto shrine.

“Shadows” – the game by France’s Ubisoft, to be released on March 20 – is set in 16th-century feudal Japan inspired by real historical events and samurai movies.

But one gameplay video on YouTube shows a character firing a bow towards priests and destroying a traditional drum and an altar.

“It’s important to treat culture with respect,” Mr Hiroyuki Kada, a member of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, said in Parliament.

“I’m concerned that attacks and acts of destruction in the game may lead to imitation nuisance behaviour in the real world,” Mr Kada said.

The lawmaker also criticised the French gamemaker for using a shrine that actually exists in his constituency of Hyogo region, without gaining permission from the shrine itself.

“Shadows” has already sparked fierce debate online and beyond for casting a black samurai, Yasuke, as one of the two playable protagonists.

A Japanese petition against the depiction of the samurai character received more than 100,000 signatures.

The petition’s text blasted a “lack of historical accuracy and cultural respect” by game developers.

Japanese gamers have also posted angrily about the fact that players can destroy the interiors of venerated shrines.

Assistant Professor Yuichi Goza, who teaches at the International Research Centre for Japanese Studies in Kyoto, said last week that this reaction “should have been foreseen”.

“I understand France’s secularist principles. But it’s important to acknowledge that ill-considered insults about religion can spark strong reactions,” Prof Goza said.