Shenmue Sacred Spot Guide Maps - All Editions Download Page

The Shenmue Sacred Spot Guide Map is a multi-page tourist pamphlet highlighting locations of interest to Shenmue fans around Yokosuka, created through a collaborative effort between Yokosuka City and SEGA. First released at the end of 2017, the map impressed fans with its high-quality and thoughtful detail, and has since seen several new editions - each tied to different milestones in Shenmue’s journey.

Over the years, three main versions of the map have been produced: the Original (2017), the Shenmue I & II edition (2018), and the Shenmue the Animation edition (2022 JP / 2024 EN). Each version has been available in both Japanese and English, offering fans worldwide the chance to explore Shenmue’s real-world setting.

In this post, we’ll tie all the versions together with an overview of how each edition differs - and supply PDF download links for each version in one handy place.

The Origins: The First Sacred Spot Guide Map (2017)

Original version cover (Japanese)

The very first Sacred Spot Guide Map appeared at the end of 2017, launched as part of the “Yokosuka City × Shenmue Project” promotion. It marked the beginning of a unique collaboration between SEGA and the city of Yokosuka, designed to promote local tourism while celebrating the cultural footprint of Shenmue.

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for February 2026

Every month Phantom River Stone holds a poll among our patrons to choose a topic for the blog in the coming month. After tallying the votes (including accumulated votes from previous months), the winning topic that has been voted this time is:

"The 11 Chapter Tiles (GDC 2014) - Analysis & Community Theories"

In 2014, during Yu Suzuki’s talk on Shenmue’s development at the Game Developers Conference, he introduced a slide of Chapter Concept Art with a simple remark:

“This is the first time I’m showing anyone this stuff.”

The slide showed 11 illustrated panels, each representing a chapter from an early, pre-Shenmue version of the saga. Created during a formative planning stage, the artwork was intended to visualize the story as a whole, capturing characters, locations, and major plot points. Some of these would later appear in recognizable form in the games released so far, while others remain unaccounted for at present.

Although high-resolution versions are currently available for only the first seven illustrations, the set as a whole offers a window into the project’s original ambitions and planned events. In our upcoming article, we’ll take a closer look at all 11 chapter tiles, identifying familiar faces and settings and drawing connections to material already seen in the released games and to chapters that remain entirely unseen. As we examine each chapter tile, we’ll also consider some of the interpretations and theories that have emerged within the Shenmue community over the years, including what may lie ahead in the story.

Coming soon to the blog!

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Masaya Matsukaze on Shenmue the Animation - Mini Interview [May 2022]

In this post, we translate a short 2022 interview that was held with Masaya Matsukaze, who voiced the protagonist Ryo Hazuki in Japanese in all Shenmue games, about his involvement in the Shenmue the Animation anime adaptation. The interview was conducted during the period of the anime’s broadcast in Japan.

Matsukaze also shares memories from the recording booth and offers insight into why even the smallest details in Shenmue continue to resonate decades later.

The translation begins below.

Originally released in 1999 on SEGA’s home console, the Dreamcast, Shenmue is a legendary action-adventure game that has influenced countless titles since.

Now, the anime adaptation Shenmue the Animation has been streaming across various platforms since April 2022, and as of May, has also begun airing on TOKYO MX [TV station].

We’ve obtained an official interview with Masaya Matsukaze, who plays the lead role of Ryo Hazuki. In it, he talks in depth about the anime adaptation, describing it as proof that “the miracle isn’t over yet.” He shares his impressions from the voice recording sessions, his thoughts after watching the finished episodes, and what continues to make the world of Shenmue, including the original game, so captivating.

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New Year’s Greetings for 2026 from Yu Suzuki and YS Net | Cultural Notes

Yu Suzuki and YS Net have once again marked the arrival of the New Year with a charming Shenmue-themed greeting illustration and message, published as part of Famitsu.com’s annual New Year special.

Famitsu introduced the feature as a celebratory roundup of New Year’s cards and messages from 95 game companies, reflecting on a lively 2025 and looking ahead to 2026, an anniversary year marking Famitsu’s 40th birthday.

YS Net’s New Year Message

YS Net shared the following message with Famitsu readers:

ファミ通読者の皆様、新年明けましておめでとうございます！

昨年お知らせした『シェンムーIII エンハンスド』は、より遊びやすく、より深く楽しめる作品として鋭意準備中です。もう少しだけお時間をいただければと思います。

今年も皆様の期待を超えられるよう、新しいチャレンジを届けていきます。本年もよろしくお願いいたします！

New Year 2026 illustration from Yu Suzuki and YS Net, published as part of Famitsu’s annual New Year feature.

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for January 2026

Every month Phantom River Stone holds a poll among our patrons to choose a topic for the blog in the coming month. After tallying the votes (including accumulated votes from previous months), the winning topic that has been voted this time is:

"Inside Yu Suzuki’s Project Berkley: a First Glimpse"

In late 1998, as the Dreamcast era was just beginning, Yu Suzuki began teasing his next project under the code name Project Berkley. Rather than a traditional announcement, Suzuki chose to reveal fragments of the project through a special video on GD-ROM that came bundled with Virtua Fighter 3tb.

Coverage by the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine from the time paints Project Berkley as something deliberately hard to define: not quite a game, not quite a movie, but what Suzuki described as “FREE”: Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment.

The article focuses on mood, visual direction, and ambition, teasing a vast world, universal themes, and the now-famous image of a mysterious young girl who would later become central to Shenmue’s identity. This early glimpse offers a fascinating snapshot of Shenmue before the title, the town of Yokosuka, or even Ryo Hazuki had been fully revealed.

Coming soon to the blog!

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Yu Suzuki’s Keyword for 2026: “Maru” — Reflections on 2025 (Famitsu.com)

 

"171 Game Creators' New Year's Resolutions" from Famitsu (the Chinese Zodiac animal sign for 2026 is the Horse)

Famitsu.com has released its annual developer survey, offering insights from 171 creators across the Japanese game industry. Yu Suzuki is among those featured once again. As in previous years, participants were asked to select a “keyword” or phrase representing their outlook for the year ahead, reflect on the past year, and share brief updates on their current activities.

Yu Suzuki’s responses reflecting on 2025 and looking ahead to 2026 are below, translated from the original Japanese. This year’s comments are brief and upbeat, reaffirming his commitment to game development while touching on recent Shenmue-related news. His chosen keyword is simple but open to interpretation:

Q: Your Keyword for 2026?

YS: Maru (まる = “circle” / “wholeness”)

Q: Your Aspirations for the Year Ahead?

YS: Next year also, I hope to continue taking on the challenge of game development and delivering fresh experiences to everyone!

Q: Recent News

YS: In 2025, we announced release information for Shenmue III Enhanced. Please wait a little longer for this easier-to-play, higher-quality version of Shenmue III.

Q: What Are You Keeping an Eye On?

YS: The 2026 World Baseball Classic, and the film adaptation of OutRun.

Yu Suzuki: CEO of YS Net. Best known for creating genre-defining works such as Virtua Fighter and Shenmue during his time at Sega. In 2025, his company released Steel Paws.

Notes on the Keyword “Maru”

Yu Suzuki’s chosen keyword, maru, is a simple word that can carry a lot of meaning in Japanese. Literally, it means “circle,” but it’s often used to suggest ideas like wholeness, completeness, or rounding things out. In everyday contexts, maru can also be used to mark something as correct or satisfactory (like an exam answer), while more broadly it can hint at cycles or things coming back around, rather than reaching a definite end.

Seen in the context of Yu Suzuki’s career as a game developer, maru feels deliberately open-ended. For Shenmue fans, it’s hard not to briefly wonder whether a word associated with “wholeness” or “completion” might hint at the long-running and unfinished nature of the series, and the hope of one day bringing that story to a proper conclusion. Any such reading, however, remains purely speculative.

More broadly, and perhaps more practically, maru can be read as expressing a general sense of balance or continuity, which fits neatly with Suzuki’s comments about continuing with game development and delivering fresh experiences. In light of Shenmue III Enhanced, it may also reflect the idea of refining or rounding out an existing work through further polish and improvements. Whether it’s meant as “closing a circle,” keeping things moving, or simply aiming for things to feel right, maru works here as a loose, reflective keyword rather than a fixed statement.

Shenmue III Enhanced

Release information for Shenmue III was shared in August 2025, around the time of Gamescom. Published by ININ Games, the Enhanced version introduces visual, performance, and quality-of-life improvements, while allowing players to retain the original experience through optional settings.

2026 World Baseball Classic

He also highlights the World Baseball Classic as an event of interest. The tournament is set to return in 2026 and will once again bring together national teams from around the world, with games scheduled to be held in several locations, including Tokyo.

OutRun Film Adaptation

Suzuki also notes his interest in the upcoming film adaptation of OutRun - inspired by the arcade game of the same name he created at Sega in 1986 which remains one of the company’s most iconic arcade titles. In April 2025, Sega announced that a live-action feature film adaptation is in development at Universal Pictures, with acclaimed director Michael Bay attached to direct and produce. A release date has not yet been announced.

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Previous end-of-year responses from Yu Suzuki:

• Yu Suzuki's Keyword for 2025: "Getting Active"
• Yu Suzuki's Keyword for 2024: "Creating Games I'd Want to Play Myself"
• Yu Suzuki's Keyword for 2023: "Light AI"
• Yu Suzuki's Keyword for 2022: "Mix"
• Yu Suzuki's Keyword for 2021: "Shooting / RPG"
• Yu Suzuki's Keyword for 2020: "A New Project Start"
• Yu Suzuki's Keyword for 2019: "Balance"
• Yu Suzuki's Keyword for 2018: "Immersion"
• Yu Suzuki's Keyword for 2017: "Shortcuts"

Source (Japanese): Famitsu.com

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What's on the Menu in Dobuita: Yamaji Soba Noodles Restaurant

In Shenmue, Dobuita's many restaurants have been crafted in realistic detail, offering a variety of different cuisine and dishes, even if they are not critical to the game's story. We have previously examined the many dishes available at Manpukuken Ramen, and this time will be visiting Yamaji Soba Noodles.

Yamaji Soba Noodles exterior

With its calm, traditional interior, Yamaji Soba Noodles provides the perfect place for workers in the district to stop in for a quick lunch or a meal before heading home.

Restaurant interior

What particular dishes do they serve here? Let's check out what's on offer.

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Shenmue Development Timeline (May 1998 - Dec 1999)

Most Shenmue fans already know the broad story of the game’s development: the early demos, the ever-extending release date, and the rumors in games magazines suggesting that SEGA was aiming for something far bigger than anything it had attempted before.

Below is a timeline translated from the Shenmue Complete Guide book, which was published in Japan not long after the first game’s release. It reflects how Shenmue’s development was being presented and discussed at the time, before years of retrospectives and post-mortems filled in the gaps. Much of this information will be familiar to longtime fans, but it still serves as a handy snapshot of those busy Dreamcast years and how key milestones slotted into place.

I’ve also inserted relevant videos at a few points along the way where they help capture what players were seeing at the time as Shenmue gradually took shape.

21 May '98

DC Demo: "Tower of Babel"

At SEGA’s Dreamcast unveiling event, one of the demo videos shown was Tower of Babel, created by Yu Suzuki in just 10 days. In retrospect, this can be seen as a precursor to Shenmue.

• Tower of Babel Demo Video:

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