Remember this image? It was first revealed during the AMA between Zyori, Jiho and Psycheout, some of the core team behind the awesome #PlaytoEarn game that everyone is talking about right now (its also where the Axie currently being used as the AxieBuzz profile picture was first revealed). I was first excited about the Axies and the Chimeras revealved (I mean, just LOOK at them!) and my excitement exploded through the roof when i looked a bit more closely at the background; the real life Japanese influences could very well also influence the lore of the game!
I first wrote a twitter thread about it a few days after it released (yes, that's me, don't worry, I'm not stealing this from anywhere) but wanted to also put this up as a post for easy reading and to further expound on some of the terminology (and as a bonus, I can link to all the images of the real life influences behind this for your easy reference!) I am beyond excited to see how this will tie into the lore of the game. Lets get to it!
The ropes around the trees on the right and the left appear to be Shimenawa, a rope used for ritual purification in Shintoism. A boundary of sorts between the divine and unholy, it is used to ward off evil. Trees bound by them are called Yorishiro which were believed to be a dwelling place for, or to attract Kami.
Yorishiro are considered to be sacred and should never be cut down based on Japanese belief. We know that in landplay we would be able to collect resources, including potentially wood. As such, it would be fascinating if these trees could also be cut down but bring severe misfortune to the harvester in line with the original belief.
The adorable stone statues on the left appear to be a type of Jizo, believed to be the guardians of children and travelers. There are several variations of the guardians, but I feel that the ones shown in the leek are most visually similar to the Nagomi-Jizo found in Hasadera Temple. In PVE, our Axies seem to be traveling from ruin to ruin to defeat different Chimera, so having the guardian of travelers in-game makes perfect sense to me.
Look at it, its so cute! They're travelers exploring the ruins!
Next up, the stone lanterns! Known in Japan as Toro, these were first used in Buddhist temples, where lit lanterns originally represented offerings to Buddha. Shinto shrines also began using them from the Heian period (794 - 1185).There are two main types of lanterns: the hanging type
Tsuri-dōrō) and the type on pedestals (Dai-dōrō, or Ishi-dōrō), which are the ones shown in the image. 𝘋𝘢𝘪-𝘥ō𝘳ō usually line the road (sandō) to a Buddhist or Shinto shrine. in the leek, we can see that it lines the steps (which can also be part of the sandō) to a small shrine.
The shrine itself may be of the Irimoya-zukuri style, which is a building with a hip and gable (Image below taken from here; doesn't it look similar?)
An acorn shaped(?) Suzu is hanging on its eave, similar to the bells seen in Shinto shrines. It is said that ringing them will call forth Kami, which allows the ringer to acquire some positive power or repel evil. There also appear to be some tiny wind chimes hung at the corners of the shrine. These could be a form of Futaku, bronze chimes that are hung at the 4 corners of shrines and are believed to ward off evil by their ringing sounds, which can also inspire a feeling of the divine.
As first mentioned, I was so excited to see all these different influences in the leek, and as @Psycheout86
said in the AMA, there are story lines in Axie Infinity and there are 'tidbits' that are there for a reason. As such I really believe that there has to be a reason for the background and different imagery shown in the leek. As mentioned in the AMA and theorized by others, Axie parts may be able to be upgraded in the future and I'm excited to see how it may tie in. Would you have to ring the Suzu to upgrade (acquire a positive power?) Will shrines (that repel evil) be a safe space from Chimera?
Beyond that though, I'd just like to show my appreciation to the wonderful art team behind these wonderful images. I mean its just absolutely GORGEOUS!
One thing is for sure, I am so excited for Axie Infinity Origin and Battles V2 and I'm sure you are too. See you all in Lunacia!