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Kiyomizu-dera Temple
April 22, 2026 at 04:22 PM
Initial Kiyomizu-dera Temple article (2026-04-22)
Kiyomizu-dera is one of the real-world Kyoto locations Capcom rebuilt inside Onimusha: Way of the Sword. It is one of the historical sites Musashi Miyamoto visits across the game's dark-fantasy version of Edo-era Kyoto.
Producer Akihito Kadowaki has publicly stated that Capcom worked directly with Kiyomizu-dera's own temple officials to get the in-game version right. The goal was to present the location realistically in terms of how it is laid out today while also reflecting how it would have looked during the Edo period the game is set in.
Kiyomizu-dera is one of the clearest expressions of the studio's authenticity push. Capcom leaned hard on real-world Kyoto geography for the game's setting, and using real temple officials as collaborators on a location as recognisable as Kiyomizu-dera reinforces that commitment. It also raises the stakes on the encounters that take place there, since the player is not fighting Genma in a made-up shrine but in a recognisable historical landmark.