Japanese shrine was rebuilt through the Ghost of Tsushima Crowdfunding prohibits tourists by "unforgivable" action

Summary

Tourists are now prohibited from visiting Watatsumi's whole sanctuary after an incident on March 22.
The details of what happened have not been revealed, but it is called “a serious and unforgivable act of respect.”
After suffering from injuries after a typhoon, the sanctuary was restored through a successful crowdfunding campaign, partly thanks to the popularity of Ghost of Tsushima.

Tourists have been banned from a famous Japanese monument rebuilt by crowdfunding after the success of Ghost of Tsushima. Sucker Punch's Epic 2020 Open-World sends players back in time to feudal Japan, where a lone Samurai named Jin Sakai Fights to free his home island from an invading Mongolian army. Ghost of Tsushima Was a resounding success both critically and commercially, so much that both a sequel and live-action filming is under development.

Ghost of TsushimaSuccess has also inspired some players to visit modern Japan to see the sights recreated in the game and even inspired some real charity efforts to benefit the country. Back in 2021, crowdfunders managed to raise enough money to restore the Watatsumi sanctuary on the island of Tsushima after it was injured in a typhoon. While the holy shrine was not in Ghost of TsushimaThe game's popularity was an important factor in building support for restoration efforts, which managed to gather over 500% of its original target goals.

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Unfortunately, not everyone who has come to visit the restored Watatsumi whole has had respectful intentions, and now its caretaker has banned all non-district visitors from the ground. According to an official Instagram post (via Dexerto), this decision came after an incident on March 22 described as “a serious and unforgivable act of disrespect […] committed by foreigners. “The staff reported that he made” unbearable mental anxiety “from this reported vandalism and in the end felt that the sanctuary was in danger.

Restored Watatsumi -Sales prohibits tourists

The exact nature of this “unforgivable act” has not been revealed, but it is the latest in a series of reported misconduct by the guests. In 2024, Watatsumi banned South Korean visitors to come in and led to controversy. The issue of vandalism against historical Japanese landmarks recently entered the public eye after Assassin's Creed Shadows Originally, players allowed to harm shrines and temples while exploring its open world. This even caught the attention of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Ubisoft eventually released a before launch patch to remove the ability to damage shrines.

Unfortunately, such vandalism is not as easy to remove in the real world, where a special crime has led to all tourists being banned from the famous Watatsumi sanctuary just a few years after Ghost of Tsushima Fans helped repair it. It is a pity that measurements like this must be taken to protect a shrine with such spiritual and historical value to Japan's people, especially after so many recent video games have aroused an interest in the country and its landmarks.

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