Uchikura & Co., LLC

Ghost of Tsushima and the Power of Japanese Culture

 

Many people assume Ghost of Tsushima was made in Japan, but it was actually developed by an American studio called Sucker Punch Productions. Even so, the game became one of the most respected portrayals of Japan in modern entertainment.

 

What made the game special was not just the combat or samurai story. People around the world fell in love with the scenery of Tsushima — the shrines, torii gates, temples, forests, and quiet beauty of rural Japan. For many players outside Japan, the game became their first emotional connection to traditional Japanese culture.

 

Then something amazing happened in real life.

 

In 2020, a typhoon damaged a torii gate at Watatsumi Shrine on Tsushima Island. Repairing it would cost a great deal of money. Fans of the game around the world heard about the damage and started crowdfunding to help restore it.

 

The donations quickly exceeded expectations and eventually reached more than 27 million yen.

 

Think about that for a moment. People who had never been to Tsushima — and in many cases had never even been to Japan — cared enough to help preserve part of Japanese culture simply because a video game touched them emotionally.

 

That is the power of culture.
Sometimes entertainment can build bridges between countries better than politics ever can.