A new Assassin’s Creed Shadows merchandising figure has reminded some of the Sanno Shrine, which has become a symbol of the tragedy in Nagasaki…

Ubisoft, in collaboration with PureArts, which specializes in creating figures and merchandising products for famous franchises, recently announced that it will create a new version of the Qlectors series based on Assassin’s Creed Shadows. While this isn’t the first time they’ve done a collaboration of this type and aesthetic, this time a part of the set on which the figure rests, it has once again stirred up controversy that Ubisoft should come forward to calm down.

After criticism of the use of the historical figure of Yasuke in the game, the developers of Assassin’s Creed Shadows said in a statement that they did not intend to generate controversy with their decision. They confirmed that they are working with Japanese historians to make the game in a way that respects Japan and its culture as much as possible. The broken torii gate on the figurine served as an excuse for those who had attacked the company in the past to do so again.

The significance of the single-column (half) torii and Assassin’s Creed Shadows

The point is that these buildings, which are typical of Shinto shrines in Japan, are not just for the decoration of temples and culture. These gates symbolize the transition between the earthly and the sacred world, so when we pass through them, we bow slightly as a sign of respect to the spirits (kami) who live on the other side.

There are several types of torii, and they are made of different materials; there is one that has become a unique symbol for the Japanese.

This is the single-column torii gate of Sanno Shrine. It was initially a traditional torii with two pillars that held the structure together until the atomic bomb fell on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, just 800 meters from the shrine.

With almost half of the city destroyed, the blast wave caused the stone torii structure to twist and destroy one of the pillars. However, the other pillar and the rest of the holy gate remained standing. From then on, the half-torii became a symbol of disaster. The missing part was not rebuilt precisely to remind the world of the horrors of what happened there, in the hope that nothing like this could ever happen again.

For now, we are waiting for Ubisoft’s reaction regarding this – hopefully – careless mistake and the scandal that arose from it. However, it is unlikely that they would change the figure’s design…

Source: Pure Arts, X, Discover Nagasaki

-be Ubisoft again
-releases another Assassin's Creed Shadow figurine set
-uses a One-Leg Torii as the backdrop for it
-the only known instance of a One-Leg Torii is the Sanno Shrine…which is a remnant/reminder of the Nagasaki incident from…1945

Ubisoft you just…I can't… pic.twitter.com/jYZhIQMftC

— Perma Banned (@GiveMeBanHammer) September 24, 2024