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.

Become a Patron!

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!

Become a Patron!