Ghost of Tsushima Developer Sucker Punch Working with Real Kenjutsu Masters from Japan

Giuseppe Nelva August 31, 2018 11:22 AM EST

Ghost of Tsushima developers at Sucker Punch are taking research seriously, with the help of real swordmasters from a prestigious Japanese school.

Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, showcasing an era close to the beginning of the age of the samurai that hasn’t been portrayed all that much in popular culture.

Looks like the studio is taking research quite seriously, a yesterday they posted pictures of a visit of two rather relevant guests.

It was our honor to be visited by two legit Japanese Samurai last week… @ideryusetsu @kuwamimasakumo #GhostofTsushima pic.twitter.com/Je3Ee4BsSr — Sucker Punch (@SuckerPunchProd) August 30, 2018

Working with folks like @kuwamimasakumo and @ideryusetsu is a fun and dangerous part of our jobs…#GhostofTsushima pic.twitter.com/oN0rRgotDB — Sucker Punch (@SuckerPunchProd) August 30, 2018

The two gentlemen portrayed in the pictures are Tenshinryu Hyohou 10th Grandmaster Masakumo Kuwami and Daihan (Assistant Instructor) Ryusetsu Ide.

Tenshinryu Hyohou is a Tokyo-based martial arts school founded in the Kan’ei era (early 17th century) by Yahei Tokizawa, under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The foundation of the school integrates techniques from the traditional Shinkage Ryu founded by Kamiizumi Nobutsuna with techniques devised by the famous samurai Munenori Yagyu.

Currently, the school teaches Kenjutsu (the traditional art of the sword), Battojutsu (the art of drawing the sword), and several additional weapons, from yari (spear) to kusarigama (chain sickle), and unarmed combat. It’s also at the forefront of the promotion of traditional martial arts internationally.

If you want to see Kuwami-sensei in action, you can check him out in the video at the bottom of the post, from Tenshinryu Hyoho’s own YouTube channel.

A comment also appeared on the official Tenshinryu Hyouhou Facebook page:

“We were invited for Ghost of Tsushima.

It is an exciting encounter of the newest game and traditional techniques.”

If you want to see more of Ghost of Tsushima, you can enjoy the fantastic gameplay presentation (also in Japanese), and the spectacular environmental footage released at E3.

You can also enjoy my articles on the history behind the game, and on the map.

Ghost of Tsushima will release exclusively for PS4 but doesn’t yet have a release window.