Credit: Yasuke (Tongayi Chirisa) prepares to duel with an old foe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft

From the Feudal era to the Post-War period, Japanese history and culture are an important aspect of gaming, especially with Japanese video games like The Legend of Zelda dominating the industry. With more gamers showing interest in Samurai/Kunoichi codes, historical Japanese weapons, fighting styles, and other aspects of Japanese culture, Western developers are being forced to incorporate them into video games.

However, it takes a lot of time, research, and a genuine admiration to recreate Japan, even in a video game, something that most Western developers have struggled with. Relying on stereotypes and inaccurate historical information has often led to misrepresentation or outright disrespect of Japan, and here is a look at the 3 times it backfired.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2025)

Credit: Yasuke (Tongayi Chirisa) is educated in the way of the blade in Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft

Besides a few complaints about historical inaccuracy and wokeness for allowing same-sex relationships in the game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was one of the most anticipated video games in Ubisoft’s history. The enthusiasm around the game only increased when Ubisoft announced that it would follow a fictionalized story of the real-life black Samurai called Yasuke, set in Feudal Japan.

However, when the game’s early version was released, it caused an uproar in Japan as politicians, including the prime minister, condemned it. Besides concerns about extreme violence, the game was accused of failing to respect Japanese culture as it allowed the in-game destruction of the Itatehyozu Shrine, which is a real-life Shinto Shrine located in Himeji, in Hyogo Prefecture. The scene raised concerns about the possibility of real-life violence in holy places by players and tourists, which is a major concern in the country. Ubisoft responded by releasing a patch on the game’s first day that toned down on bloodshed and prevented the destruction of structures in holy places.

Ghost of Tsushima (2020)

Credit: Jin Sakai (Kazuya Nakai) officially receives the moniker of ‘Ghost’ from Lord Shimura (Akito Otsuka) in Ghost of Tsushima (2020), Sony Interactive Entertainment

Watazumi Shrine, based in Tsushima, was recently forced to ban tourists, citing disrespect of the holy grounds and acts of violence against its staff. This is one of the disadvantages of its popularity, which soared after it was featured in the popular 2020 game. While the game didn’t directly influence the tourists’ misbehavior, it wasn’t without its own shortcomings as far as historical accuracy is concerned.

Developed by Sucker Punch for Sony, Ghost of Tsushima is another video game set in Feudal Japan that follows Jin Sakai, a Samurai, tasked with protecting the island of Tsushima against the Mongols during the Mongol Invasion of Japan in 1274. The problem, however, is that the Bushido code that Jin subscribes to reflects more of Japanese soldiers during the country’s militaristic era rather than feudal Japan. The game also ignores most historical facts about the invasion itself, including a degrading portrayal of Mongols, and basically relying on pop culture to portray Jin.

Shadow Warrior (1997&2013)

Credit: Lo Wang (Mike Moh) making a call in Shadow Warrior (2013), Devolver Digital

Shadow Warriors 3, released in 2022, finally cast an Asian actor in the lead role of Lo Wang. Although the remake was a welcome improvement by the developer, the franchise’s offensive racial and sexist humor and cultural appropriation are still a huge stain on its reputation. Worse still, it took more than two decades of backlash for the game’s publisher, Devolver Digital, to finally respond.

The original Shadow Warriors, released in 1997, follows Lo Wang, an enforcer for Zilla Enterprises, who turns on his employers in a bid to save Japan from being invaded by demons. Unfortunately, Lo Wang, played by John William Galt (a white man), is largely a racist caricature with a disappointing mishmash of Chinese and Japanese culture and abhorrent sexist jokes. The developer, who didn’t seem to understand the difference between China and Japan, made the same mistake with the 2013 remake of the game, which, again, features a white man playing Lo Wang.