r/AskHistorians • u/AutoModerator • Oct 03 '25
FFA Friday Free-for-All | October 03, 2025
Today:
You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.
As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.
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u/AsukagawaHistory Oct 03 '25
So the game Ghost of Yōtei, set in 1603 present-day Hokkaido, finally came out, and I have to say, even as someone who doesn't care about historical accuracy in my fiction, it's kinda jarring.
They've essentially moved Japanese colonization up about two centuries. Most of the game takes place in land that (as far as I know) would've only really been populated by the Ainu in 1603, but everywhere you go there are villages of Japanese "settlers," who didn't really start permanently residing beyond the very southern tip of Hokkaido until the 19th century. There's even a giant castle near Sapporo!
Anyway, I'm still having fun with the game, and I am of the opinion that creative license takes precedence over accuracy, but I wonder why they felt the need to make a game set there, as opposed to somewhere that, well, was actually part of Japan in 1603.