Ghost of Tsushima fans have helped to raise over 27,000,000 yen which works out to be around £190k/$260k to repair a shrine on a real Japanese island.
The shrine in question is the Watatsumi Shrine, which is located in the real island of Tsushima. However it was severely damaged and collapsed during a typhoon.
To help raise money to fix the damages to the shrine, priest of the temple Yuichi Hirayama launched a crowdfunding page to help rebuild the structure and while I’m sure he hoped to raise some money, I think it’s fair to say that his expectations have been far exceeded.
The funds raised so far at the time of writing are 542% above the target goal of 5,000,000 yen, which is roughly £35k/$47k.
In response to the amazing amount raised on the crowdfunding page, priest Yuichi Hirayama shared that over 2000 people have donated to the cause, many of whom are fans of PS4 exclusive, Ghost of Tsushima.
“We have received a great deal of support from the players of the Ghost of Tsushima game set in Tsushima, and I feel that it is God’s guidance,” said Hirayama on the crowdfunding page.
While the Watatsumi Shrine doesn’t feature directly in Ghost of Tsushima, as you can imagine the video game from Sucker Punch is heavily inspired by the real-world island as showcased by this tourism website.
Repairs to the shrine are expected to begin this April and to be completed by August. The repairs also intend to include the engraved names of those that donated more than 10,000 yen (£70/$94), which is a nice touch.
This is a wonderful example of how the gaming community comes together even during times of hardship!
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Featured Image Credit: Sucker Punch Productions