Japanese Government and Citizens’ Ire Over Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Yasuke Controversy Rises

Further developments have occurred as mounting allegations against Yasuke author Thomas Lockley and further investigation into Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows has led to Lockley deleting his social media and Ubisoft to remain silent on the topic. Letters from Japanese citizens are pouring into the government as politicians are investigating Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows while celebrities are also bringing the issue to light, making the average person aware of what is happening and anger over the topic of Yasauke grows.

Shortly after Ubisoft unveiled the trailer for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, there was immediate backlash and accusations that the game is racist, appropriating Japanese culture, and even rewriting Japanese history as the company claimed that Yasuke “was a real-life, historical samurai.” A talking point that many prominent video game outlets have echoed. 

(Note: Information gathered is via translation services and may not be wholly accurate in the reporting of this news)

A video posted on YouTube July 19th by Yuhei Shigekurogi, who is a public secretary for House of Councilors member Tetsu Hamada, provided a summary of what is currently happening as calls for the government to look into Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Thomas Lockley, and the subject of Yasuke have been made. In the video, the presenter references the Japanese petition and Senator for the House of Councilors Satoshi Hamada’s announcement that he is looking into the matter. Questions, which he posted on his blog, are being asked about the government’s position on the topic that have been directed at Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

The gist of the government’s response, at the time, was that it is taking a wait-and-see approach over Assassin’s Creed Shadows because it is just a game. 

Shigekurogi also sent a request to The National Diet Library asking for them to look into Thomas Lockley’s work, and sources, by comparing the author’s book with historical sources then providing a summary of what is wrong and what is factual. The National Diet Library responded that he will receive a reply by July 31st. 

There is also mounting pressure from Japanese citizens as comments on YouTube, X, and other social media platforms continue to pour in. Comments point out other concerns such as Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai’s (NHK), Japan’s public broadcasting corporation, production of a program called “Black Samurai: Yasuke, the African Samurai Who Served Nobunaga” which is no longer available for viewing in light of the Assassin’s Creed Shadows controversy. 

Japanese Comedian Tamura @atsushiTSK Atsushi published a lengthy post on X, where he has 3.2 million followers, talking about Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Yasuke; asking whether or not it was being disrespectful to Japanese culture and providing his own stance on the matter, 

“Until now, I had thought that if it was fiction, it was fine to depict it however you wanted within the work, but I realized that the problem this time was that, even though there were no sources or documents, descriptions created from imagination were being recognized as if they were historical fact, and a path was being created for them to be recognized, and that this information was spreading throughout the world.

I have never played this game, but as a Japanese citizen who became interested in castles when I was in elementary school, and then in Japan’s Sengoku period, and has since developed a love for Japanese history, I would like to speak out about this issue.”

You can read the entire X post here.

In addition, the Nippon Journal, a news commentary program, recently talked about the allegation leveled at Japan as having black slavery. An allegation, which the Tokyo Weekender reported on, made by Thomas Lockley who said that a number of feudal lords made use of black slaves. The Nippon Journal also brought up the claim that Lockley edited Wikipedia to make his work an official source over the false claim that Yasuke was a real samurai.

With Japanese politicians, news outlets, and prominent personalities raising awareness in Japan over Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shdaows, it remains to be seen what the Japanese government’s official stance on the matter will be. Not to mention the end result of the current backlash against the company, its game, and the historical facts surrounding Yasuke.

As of the posting of this article, the petition to cancel Assassin’s Creed Shadows has reached 93,200 signatures while the Japanese YouTube trailer has a ratio of 52,0000 Dislikes to 5,400 Likes.

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