Assassin's Creed Shadows debate somehow reaches Japanese government ministries, who reportedly remind everyone that historical fiction isn't really their concern at all

GamesActionAssassin’s CreedAssassin’s Creed ShadowsAssassin’s Creed Shadows debate somehow reaches Japanese government ministries, who reportedly remind everyone that historical fiction isn’t really their concern at allWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesActionAssassin’s CreedAssassin’s Creed ShadowsAssassin’s Creed Shadows debate somehow reaches Japanese government ministries, who reportedly remind everyone that historical fiction isn’t really their concern at allWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin's Creed Shadows

Contrary to online speculation and reports,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis not the subject of heated debate among the Japanese government.

Sankeireports that NHK Party representative Satoshi Hamada formally asked Japanese government ministries to comment on Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Hamada reportedly cited concerns over historical inaccuracies featured in the newUbisoftgame.

Responding, the Japanese foreign ministry said it simply wasn’t their concern, while the education ministry offered a boilerplate response to Hamada, saying that a game shouldn’t violate “public order and morals.” The education ministry statement further read that “careful handling is required if there are suspicions of content that violates public order and morals.”

While some considered the exchange a big deal, Kanda University of International Studies lecturer Jeffrey J. Hall points out onTwitterthat questions like Hamada’s are more often performative than not. What’s more, the NHK Party is so small it’s virtually insignificant in the grand scheme of Japanese politics - the group’s status as a political party was revoked earlier this year in January when the Otsu wing of the National Diet expelled two members.

The Japanese education ministry’s response is being viewed as something major when in reality, it pertains to game releases that feature excessive violence or nudity, as per Hall. This line of thought saw Dead Space banned from release in Japan, for example, or, more recently, The Callisto Protocol denied permission to release back in late 2022.

Therefore, the Japanese education ministry likely isn’t investigating Assassin’s Creed Shadows anytime soon because it simply has no precedent for doing so, while the wider Japanese government has shown no interest whatsoever in entertaining Representative Hadama’s questions.

Ubisoft just recently apologized for causing concern among Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Japanese fans, writing that the game was continually evolving to perfect inaccuracies like flags and architecture up until launch. It also wrote that whether protagonist Yasuke was a samurai was open to debate, despite multiple Japanese scholars insisting that he very much was a samurai.

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows romance will boast “more developed relationships” for Naoe and Yasuke, says Ubisoft lead.

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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

1

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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2

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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

1

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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

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2

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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4

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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

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5

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1

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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

2

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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

3

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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

4

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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5

Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

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