Key takeaways
- Location Aoi Village is in the Tsutsu prefecture of Izuhara, on the south-western coast of the region.
- Campaign role It is the starting location for Kenji’s Act 1 Tale, Servant of the People.
- Progression change The village is peaceful or troubled early in Act 1, then becomes occupied by Mongols after the story advances into Act 2.
- Mongol Territory Liberating Aoi Village requires Jin to rescue three hostages. The reward is a minor Legend increase and 8 Steel.
- Mythic Tale connection One of the six keys for The Unbreakable Gosaku is held at Aoi Village.
- No separate village district has been verified Nearby places such as Beachside Camp, Arrow Peak Shrine and other settlements should not be treated as subareas of Aoi Village.
About this guide
Scope: Base game of Ghost of Tsushima, including its single-player campaign. The separate Legends appearance is covered in its own section. Spoiler warning: This guide discusses Act 1 and Act 2 progression, Mongol occupation, Kenji’s tale, and the Mythic Tale The Unbreakable Gosaku.
Overview
Aoi Village is a small farming and fishing settlement on the south-western coast of Tsutsu, in the Izuhara region. It is best understood as a village settlement and its immediately surrounding occupied farm territory, rather than as a broad district containing several named locations. The village is not a major hub like Hiyoshi Springs or Komatsu Forge, but it has an unusually important place in the game’s progression: it is tied to Kenji’s first tale, supplies one of the keys needed for The Unbreakable Gosaku, and later becomes a Mongol Territory during Act 2.
Aoi Village therefore changes function during the story. Early in the campaign it is a troubled rural community where Jin can meet Kenji and help a captive farmer. After the events at Castle Kaneda, the Mongols retaliate against several settlements, including Aoi Village. Jin must then liberate it as an occupied territory.
The location also appears in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends as the setting for the Survival map Aoi Village, but that multiplayer map should not be confused with the campaign location’s story state or exact geography.
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Named directory: Aoi Village area
The location reference identifies Aoi Village with Tsutsu, Izuhara and the Tsutsu Plains, while walkthroughs commonly place it on the south-western coast of the region.
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Aoi Village is reached by travelling through southern Izuhara towards the coast. The most useful approach is usually from the surrounding Tsutsu roads and settlements rather than from the sea. Players travelling from the nearby southern Mongol territories can follow the coastal route towards the village.
One commonly described route approaches from Beachside Camp, then follows the coast south towards Aoi Village. Beachside Camp is not part of the village, but it is a useful navigation reference because it is close and is often encountered during the same southern Izuhara exploration sweep.
Named directory: Aoi Village area
Recommended approach during Act 1
If you are exploring freely during Act 1:
Recommended approach during Act 1: steps
- 01Travel south-west through Tsutsu.
- 02Follow the roads and coastal paths towards the village.
- 03Check whether Kenji is present near one of the village buildings.
- 04If Servant of the People is available, begin it before progressing too far into Act 2.
- 05If the village is not yet a hostile Mongol Territory, do not assume that it is missing from the game. Its occupation is tied to later story progression.
Recommended approach during Act 2
After the retaliation that follows the events at Castle Kaneda, Aoi Village can become occupied. If the map shows the village as a Mongol Territory:
Several guides specifically note that Aoi Village and other farm settlements become occupied after the end of Act 1, so its availability and hostile state are progression-dependent.
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Recommended approach during Act 2: steps
- 01Approach from the inland road or the coast.
- 02Use the wind or the objective marker to identify the settlement.
- 03Scout the houses, paths and beach before committing to combat.
- 04Rescue all three hostages.
- 05Complete any optional bonus objective shown in the upper-left objective list.
- 06Finish the territory by defeating the remaining Mongols.
Kenji
Kenji is the most important named character associated with Aoi Village. He is not permanently resident there, but he visits the village in connection with Servant of the People, the first Tale in his personal quest sequence.
In the tale, Kenji claims to be helping the farmers after the Mongols have taken food and hostages. His plan involves hiding Jin inside a sake barrel so that they can infiltrate a nearby Mongol position. The plan is characteristic of Kenji’s mixture of opportunism, nervous improvisation and genuine concern for people in danger.
Kenji’s starting position is near a thatched-roof building in the village. After speaking with him, Jin follows Kenji towards the nearby beach, hides in the barrel and eventually emerges to fight the Mongols. The tale ends after the captive is freed and spoken to.
Ordinary villagers
Aoi Village contains unnamed farmers and other rural NPCs. They provide atmosphere and help establish the settlement as a working agricultural community rather than a military fort or formal town. Their presence varies with the village’s progression state:
No verified named shopkeepers, village headmen, armourers, trappers or merchants have been established as permanent Aoi Village residents. The presence of an NPC in a building should not be treated as evidence that the building is a functional shop.
Residents and associated characters directory
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Mongol occupation
Aoi Village is listed as a Mongol Territory. In the campaign, its occupation is not necessarily present from the beginning of the game. The village becomes hostile after the Mongols retaliate against southern settlements following the story’s Act 1 conclusion.
The territory is comparatively compact. Guides describe the three hostages as being positioned around the entrance, a nearby house and the beach area. The precise arrangement can vary in practical combat terms depending on where Jin approaches, which enemies detect him and how the territory encounter unfolds.
The occupation includes ordinary Mongol troops and may include Mongol eagles. Eagles can alert nearby soldiers, making them an early priority for players attempting a stealth clear.
Defensive approach
Aoi Village is a useful territory for practising basic liberation tactics:
One walkthrough describes many of the Mongols in the hostage encounter as shield users, making Water Stance a practical choice.
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Aoi Village is a small rural settlement rather than a developed hub. Its buildings are primarily houses, farm structures and storage spaces used to communicate the village’s agricultural character.
There is no reliable evidence that Aoi Village contains a permanent:
This is an important distinction. Some buildings may contain scenery, supplies or mission staging, but that does not make them functional businesses. Aoi Village should not be treated as a replacement for Hiyoshi Springs, Komatsu Forge or another proper service settlement.
Building directory
The available guides identify the thatched-roof building as Kenji’s meeting area and describe the village as a small farm settlement, but they do not establish a full set of named individual buildings or permanent services.
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Servant of the People
Servant of the People is Kenji’s first Tale and begins at Aoi Village during Act 1. The tale becomes available through exploration once the relevant story conditions have been met.
Objectives
The combat section takes place away from the village’s central houses, near the beach and the Mongol position. Depending on the player’s approach, Jin can use stealth to thin out the camp or begin a direct fight. The hostage encounter is designed as a short, focused introduction to Kenji’s unreliable but effective methods.
Rewards
The tale is recorded as an Act 1 Kenji Tale and its walkthrough lists the rewards above.
Progression warning
Aoi Village’s later occupation can make Servant of the People temporarily unavailable. This is not the same as the mission being permanently deleted. If the tale disappears after the story advances, liberating Aoi Village can restore access according to multiple player reports and walkthrough references. The safest practice is to complete the tale before finishing Act 1 if you are deliberately clearing all available side content.
Because community reports are not equivalent to official documentation, treat the exact timing of the mission’s disappearance and return as a progression-state issue rather than a guaranteed permanent miss. The game’s quest journal may also display a requirement to liberate the village.
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Objectives
- 01Speak with Kenji.
- 02Follow Kenji.
- 03Speak with Kenji again.
- 04Hide in the sake barrel.
- 05Defeat the Mongols.
- 06Speak with the captive.
Liberate Aoi Village
After Aoi Village becomes a Mongol Territory, Jin receives the standard territory objective to rescue its hostages.
Optional objective
The territory may also display a bonus objective involving kills with the Half Bow. The exact bonus prompt should be checked in the objective panel because optional requirements are presented by the game when the territory is active. The location reference lists “kill enemies with the Half Bow” as the bonus objective.
Liberation reward
The reward is listed by territory guides and map references.
Liberation walkthrough
Aoi Village is generally considered one of the more compact hostage-rescue territories, with the objectives located relatively close together.
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Liberation walkthrough
- 01Scout the approach. Look for patrols near the entrance and observe whether an eagle is circling the area.
Liberation walkthrough
- 01Deal with the first hostage group. The first hostage is described as being near the entrance, close to an eagle and a building containing additional Mongols.
Liberation walkthrough
- 01Clear the nearby house. Remove the guards carefully before interacting with the hostage. If the camp is alert, prioritise enemies who can reach the captive.
Liberation walkthrough
- 01Move towards the beach. The second hostage is positioned in a more open coastal area. This approach can expose Jin to several patrols and eagle alerts.
Liberation walkthrough
- 01Use the Half Bow if pursuing the bonus. Do not complete all kills with the Longbow or melee attacks if the active bonus specifically requires Half Bow kills.
Liberation walkthrough
- 01Find the remaining hostage. Search the inland and coastal parts of the territory rather than assuming that all three captives are concentrated in one compound.
Liberation walkthrough
- 01Finish the Mongol force. Once every hostage is safe, defeat the remaining enemies to complete the liberation.
The Unbreakable Gosaku
Aoi Village is one of six farmsteads or settlements connected to The Unbreakable Gosaku, a Mythic Tale begun after Jin hears the musician Yamato in Akashima Village.
The tale requires six keys. One is obtained from Aoi Village, while the others come from:
The six-key structure means that Aoi Village is not the final destination of the Mythic Tale. It is one part of a wider farming-settlement objective chain.
Once all six keys have been collected, Jin travels to the Old Togo Rice Fields, survives the ambush and reaches the locked stone door leading to Gosaku’s armour. The armour itself is not located at Aoi Village.
Gosaku key directory
The Mythic Tale’s objective list identifies Aoi Village as one of the six key locations.
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The Unbreakable Gosaku
Fixed rewards
The following rewards are tied to named activities in or through Aoi Village:
The Gosaku key is best treated as a quest item rather than a freely collectible village treasure. It is acquired through the relevant farmstead objective during the Mythic Tale.
Fixed rewards
| Activity | Reward |
|---|---|
| Servant of the People | Minor Legend increase, Minor Defence Charm, 4 Leather |
| Liberate Aoi Village | Minor Legend increase, 8 Steel |
| The Unbreakable Gosaku | One of six keys required for the wider Mythic Tale |
Unverified collectible categories
No reliable evidence in the researched material confirms a fixed Aoi Village location for:
The absence of a listing is not proof that no incidental supplies or ordinary loot can appear in buildings. It does mean that these should not be advertised as established Aoi Village collectibles without a stronger location-specific source.
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Aoi Village has three useful campaign states.
1. Pre-occupation state
During the early campaign, the village is a civilian settlement. Kenji can be found here for Servant of the People, and Jin can meet villagers associated with the tale.
2. Retaliation and occupation state
After the story advances beyond Act 1, the Mongols retaliate against several southern settlements. Aoi Village becomes a hostile Mongol Territory. This state can temporarily block the normal start of Kenji’s tale.
3. Liberated state
After Jin rescues the hostages and defeats the occupying Mongols, Aoi Village returns to a safer civilian condition. This liberation also allows the player to resume progression connected with the village, including the blocked Kenji activity where applicable.
The village’s changing state is one of its most important design features. It is not a static backdrop, and the same buildings can serve as civilian homes, mission staging areas and occupied combat spaces at different points in the campaign.
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Route A: Act 1 story-completion route
This route prioritises avoiding progression complications.
This is the best route for players who want to experience Kenji’s first Aoi Village appearance before the settlement changes state.
Route A: Act 1 story-completion route: steps
- 01Travel through Tsutsu towards Aoi Village.
- 02Speak with Kenji if he is present.
- 03Complete Servant of the People.
- 04Explore the nearby coastline and roads.
- 05Continue with the remaining Act 1 Tales and story missions.
Route B: Act 2 liberation route
- 01Begin at the nearest liberated settlement or fast-travel point.
- 02Approach Aoi Village from the inland side.
- 03Scout for eagles and patrols.
- 04Rescue the hostage near the entrance.
- 05Clear the nearby building.
- 06Sweep down towards the beach.
- 07Rescue the coastal hostage and search the remaining village area.
- 08Complete the bonus Half Bow objective if desired.
- 09Finish the occupation and collect the Steel reward.
Route C: Gosaku clean-up route
If you are collecting the six keys for The Unbreakable Gosaku:
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Aoi Village also appears in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends as a Survival map. This is a separate multiplayer continuity and should not be used to infer additional campaign buildings, residents, shops or collectibles.
The Legends map uses the name Aoi Village and presents the location as a combat arena with wave-based enemy attacks. Its layout and enemy-spawn logic serve multiplayer objectives rather than the campaign’s hostage rescue, Kenji tale or Gosaku key.
A walkthrough for the Legends content describes travelling to Aoi Village during an Act 1 route and notes a nearby beach and cliff area associated with a Tsutsu Haiku in that particular guide context. That does not establish the Haiku as a fixed collectible within the campaign’s Aoi Village territory.
Continuity separation
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Route C: Gosaku clean-up route: steps
- 01Visit each named farmstead or fishing settlement.
- 02Treat Aoi Village as one key location, not the final Mythic Tale destination.
- 03Mark off the Aoi Village key once obtained.
- 04Continue to Iijima, Kuta, Koshimizu, Ohama and Yagata.
- 05Return to the Old Togo Rice Fields after all six keys are secured.
Continuity separation
| Feature | Base-game campaign | Legends |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Story exploration and territory liberation | Wave-based Survival combat |
| Kenji | Present in Servant of the People | Not a campaign quest giver at the village |
| Hostages | Present during liberation | Not the campaign objective |
| Gosaku key | Associated with the village | Not a Legends reward |
| Mongol waves | Ordinary campaign occupation | Multiplayer combat encounters |
| Map boundaries | Campaign settlement and territory | Multiplayer arena layout |
For Gosaku
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Is Aoi Village the same as Aoi Fishing Village?
Most likely, yes in guide terminology. The game location is generally referred to as Aoi Village, while some walkthroughs call it Aoi Fishing Village. No separate, independently verified second settlement has been established in the researched sources, so they should not be treated as two different locations without in-game evidence.
Is Aoi Village part of Tsutsu?
Yes. It is located in the Tsutsu prefecture of Izuhara and is associated with the Tsutsu Plains.
Why has Kenji’s quest disappeared?
Aoi Village changes into a Mongol Territory after the story advances beyond Act 1. Servant of the People can therefore become unavailable until the settlement is liberated. Check the quest journal and clear the occupation before assuming the tale is permanently lost.
Does Aoi Village have a merchant or armourer?
No permanent functional shop or service has been verified in the available location-specific evidence. It is a rural settlement, not a major service hub.
Where is Gosaku’s armour?
Not in Aoi Village. Aoi Village supplies one of six keys. After collecting all six, Jin travels to the Old Togo Rice Fields and completes the final section of the Mythic Tale.
How many hostages must be rescued?
Three hostages must be rescued to liberate the Aoi Village Mongol Territory.
Is the Legends version the same map?
It uses the same location name and a related visual setting, but it is a separate multiplayer map with Survival gameplay. Its waves, spawn points and mission structure should not be merged with the campaign’s village boundaries or story activities.
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The available evidence supports Aoi Village’s region, progression states, Kenji tale, Mongol Territory objective, rewards, Gosaku connection and Legends appearance. However, the following details were not sufficiently verified from reliable location-specific sources:
Accordingly, this guide treats the village, its immediate beach and its occupation area as the verified scope, while keeping neighbouring named locations separate.
Sources
- Aoi Village | Ghost of Tsushima Wiki | Fandom — ghostoftsushima.fandom.com
- 草の上の血 // BLOOD ON THE GRASS - Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Walkthrough & Guide - GameFAQs — gamefaqs.gamespot.com
- Ghost of Tsushima All Mongol Territories Locations (Occupied Areas / Outposts) — powerpyx.com
- Ghost of Tsushima Servant of the People Walkthrough — powerpyx.com
- Ohama Fishing Village - Izuhara Region - Mongol Territories | Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut | Gamer Guides® — gamerguides.com
- Ghost Of Tsushima Side Missions Full Walkthrough: Tales of Tsushima Locations And Rewards - GameSpot — gamespot.com
- The Unbreakable Gosaku | Ghost of Tsushima Wiki | Fandom — ghostoftsushima.fandom.com