Assassin’s Creed Shadows: A 2026 Tourist’s Checklist for Early Japan

I still remember the first time I climbed a shrine roof in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and just stared at the fog rolling over the hills. Even in 2026, with so many open-world games fighting for my attention, that early tour of 1500s Japan still feels like a slow-burn vacation I want to take again. The opening hours are not exactly a sprint, but once the world opens up, I find myself acting like a very armed tourist with a checklist. So, if you are like me and want to spend your first dozen hours wisely, here is my personal route for early rewards, knowledge, and a few genuinely strange little detours.

🏯 Castles Are My First Stops

My first rule is simple: if I see a castle, I start counting daisho. These leader targets are the key to unlocking the big tower chest, and the gear inside is often Legendary. The castle loop is like a kabuki stagehand who hands me a legendary sword after I clear the stage of its noisy leads. It is not subtle, but it works.

Tools Master Gear is especially nice because it helps me after I assist an opponent by throwing a kunai at the nearest foe. I like it before Naoe’s skill tree opens up a cleaner way to kill two enemies at once. Amagasaki and Osaka are also easy to remember because they sit near towns I am already exploring, so I do not feel like I am wasting a trip.

🏠 Kakuregas Are My Errand Hubs

I treat Kakuregas like the convenience stores of feudal Japan. They store items, refill supplies, recall scouts, and hand out Contracts. Those Contracts are basically fetch quests in RPG clothing, but I still take them because money talks and early upgrades are expensive. Kakuregas are like vending machines that only accept the currency of curiosity: I poke around every alley, and suddenly the map offers me a supply closet with a side of paid errands.

Before I leave a town, I sweep the streets. Amagasaki, Katano, Sakai, and Takatsuki are all early examples where I have found Kakuregas to purchase. The hideout customization is also a fun little side dish, almost like a watered-down Animal Crossing with fewer turnips and more roof tiles. I do not need to min-max it, but I do like having a home base that feels less like a menu and more like a place.

🕳️ Kofuns: The Bento Boxes of Loot

Kofuns look like basic caves at first, which is exactly why I almost skipped them. Do not make my mistake. They go deeper than they appear, and the secret pockets inside often hold better gear. Completing one also gives a Knowledge Point, and those points feed every skill tree I care about. Kofuns are like a bento box where the rice looks plain until I lift the second layer and find a tanto.

Old Kofun is due east of Sakai, and it is a great early test of squeezing through cracks, swimming, swinging, and blowing things up. Inside, I have found Amaterasu’s Blessing, Ardent Katana of Wounding, and Exotic Tanto of Malice. Those are solid early tools for Naoe. There is another one east of Takatsuki called Makino Kurumazuka Kofun, but I need Yasuke for that, so I file it away for later.

🧘 Kuji-kiri and Knowledge Points

Kuji-kiri meditation spots are quiet little pauses in a game that otherwise wants me to stab my way across a province. The first one I found with Naoe was outside the starting area at Eboshigata Hachiman Shrine. There is also one at the hideout, which is convenient when I am already dumping loot. I also remember one close to Kawachi Lost Pagoda, which is a Viewpoint. These three matter because they help me relive Naoe’s past through side quests: Shinobi Warfare, Mind and Body, and then Traditions. After that, Kuji-kiri is mostly a pleasant way to farm Knowledge Points.

🧗 Paths Are Parkour With a Prize

Paths show up with orange icons like Kofuns, and they scratch the same exploration itch. They are parkour trials, and finishing them gives Knowledge Points plus gear. I found Path of Valor near the Koyana Ruins, and at the end I picked up Tamakichi’s Hood. It is a decent hat-based armor piece, and more importantly, the route itself is fun. Paths often sit along routes to Viewpoints, so I try not to sprint past orange icons when I am already climbing toward a fast-travel point.

⛩️ Shrines and Temples for History Buffs

Shrines and temples are the final piece of my early tour. They ask for small tasks, like finding lost scroll pages or praying at specific spots, and they pay out Knowledge Points. Nishinomiya Shrine is in Nishinomiya Shrine Town west of Amagasaki, and I had to find three prayer spots using the tag mechanic. Sumiyoshi Shrine in the Osaka region is another prayer stop. Tennoji Temple is also in Osaka, but bandits have taken it over, so I had to fight for my history lesson. Knowledge is power, and touring these places is a feast for anyone who likes walking through a period drama with a sword.

🗺️ My Short Early Checklist

• Clear Katano Castle for Tools Master Gear.

• Hit Amagasaki Castle for Tools Master Mask.

• Push into Osaka Castle for Peasant Clothes.

• Buy Kakuregas in Amagasaki, Katano, Sakai, and Takatsuki.

• Run Old Kofun east of Sakai for early weapons.

• Meditate at Eboshigata Hachiman Shrine, the hideout, and near Kawachi Lost Pagoda.

• Finish Path of Valor near Koyana Ruins.

• Pray and explore at Nishinomiya Shrine, Sumiyoshi Shrine, and Tennoji Temple.

That is the tour I wish I had taken on day one. It is not about clearing the map like a chore list; it is about giving myself a few strong tools, a reliable home base, and enough Knowledge Points to make Naoe feel less fragile. In 2026, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is still a big, beautiful, occasionally overwhelming trip. With a checklist like this, though, I get to be the tourist who actually knows where the good snacks are hidden.