Track down the elusive Iron Hand Guild across feudal Japan in Assassin’s Creed Shadows-from shadowy merchants hidden in Yamashiro and Wakasa to the heavily guarded stronghold of Fukuchiyama Castle where the Iron Hand himself awaits. Will you spare the merchants to gain political favor or strike them down for swift justice? Your choices lead to unique rewards, including rare weapons and powerful trinkets, as you unravel the mystery behind this dangerous syndicate.
Our Assassin’s Creed Shadows guide will tell you how to find all four Iron Hand Guild merchant locations, how to spare them all, and where to find the elusive Iron Hand himself.
How to start ’The Iron Hand Guild’ in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
To start “The Iron Hand Guild” quest in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you need to speak with Imai Sokun in Sakai, Izumi Settsu, after completing Act 1 of the story and the “Mibuno Showdown” main quest where Yasuke becomes unlocked. Imai Sokun will inform you of a secret merchant syndicate using his family’s name for illicit activities and request your help to deal with them. This quest becomes available on the objective board under “People of Settsu” and “The Iron Hand Guild” sections, marked by a quest icon at Imai Sokun’s location in the Sakai Firearms District.
“The Iron Hand Guild” has its own Objectives board, but it’s also a part of the People of Settsu Objectives board. That quest is also named “The Iron Hand Guild,” and you’ll pick it up from Imai Sokun, who you met in “Searching Sakai.” You’ll have to wait until after you complete “Mibuno Showdown” as Yasuke – the quest where Yasuke discloses his past actions to Naoe – for the quest to appear.
Once the quest unlocks, you’ll find Imai Sokun at his home in Sakai. He’ll explain that someone is forging documents and conducting business in his family’s name and he wants you to put a stop to it by finding information from the imposter’s allies.
There are a total of five Iron Hand Guild members to find in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. They are scattered across the map, so you’ll have to do a lot of exploring and leveling before you can get to them all.
- Merchant Tamao is in Yamashiro
- Merchant Kin-n0-suke is in Wakasa
- Merchant Ginroku is in Tamba
- Merchant Kanta is in Omi
- The Iron Hand himself is in Fukuchiyama in Tamba
Below, we’ll show you where to find all Iron Hand targets in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, plus details about what rewards you’ll get for dealing with each of them. Not necessarily killing them, mind you.
Should you kill the merchants working for The Iron Hand?
When deciding whether to kill the merchants working for The Iron Hand in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players should consider that Imai Sokun, the quest giver, requests that the merchants be spared and only interrogated for information. Sparing them does not affect the rewards, as killing or sparing the merchants yields the same experience points, mastery points, and unique gear. The choice ultimately comes down to player preference, as sparing the merchants can lead to a better narrative outcome with Imai Sokun, but there are no significant gameplay consequences or missed rewards if you choose to assassinate them instead.
Imai Sokun explicitly asks you to spare the merchants as you investigate the Iron Hand. He’ll be happier – and have different dialogue – if you spare them, but you won’t fail the quest if you kill them.
That said, some will require a bit of work to not kill.
Where to find Merchant Tamao
Merchant Tamao can be found in the Yamashiro region within Kyoto, specifically at a brewery located just west of Honpoji Temple. To locate him, head to the eastern part of the temple and look for a locked warehouse where he is hiding. To draw him out, destroy the breakable jars and barrels in the courtyard, which will anger him and cause him to come outside. From there, you can either knock him out or assassinate him to complete the quest and obtain information about the Iron Hand Guild. Despite the choice, the rewards remain the same.
Merchant Tamao is in Yamashiro at a brewery in Kyoto that is west of Honpoji Temple. The spot you’re looking for is directly to the west of the temple – like one block over. He’ll be hiding, but you can eavesdrop on his workers to find out he doesn’t like it when his stuff gets smashed. Lure him out by smashing his stuff.
If you’re okay with killing him (Naoe isn’t – she calls him innocent), you can just wait out in the open and stab away. If want to spare him, you’ll have to break some pots and then immediately hide. When Tamao comes out, sneak up behind him, grab him, and knock him out.
You’ll get the Letter Regarding Kyoto, unlock the Zashiki Hideout Room (if he’s the first you took out), and pick up some mon.
Where to find Merchant Kin-n0-suke
Merchant Kin-no-suke, a key member of the Iron Hand Guild in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, can be found in the Wakasa region, specifically in the town of Obama. His location is across the bridge north of the Kara Market, near the coast. Players can either confront him directly or engage in conversation to obtain crucial information about the Iron Hand. After speaking with him, you can choose to either spare him by handing over a bandit letter or assassinate him for additional rewards, including the unique Harrowing Wealth bow. Approaching Kin-no-suke stealthily or through dialogue is essential to progress in the Iron Hand Guild questline and gather intelligence needed to locate the Iron Hand’s base in Fukuchiyama Castle.
Your first stop for Merchant Kin-no-suke is in Wakasa, northeast of Onyu Pass. The hideout you’re looking for is a nondescript camp along the southern river in central Wakasa. Head in, kill the goons, and loot the Letter from Bandit Chief. That will point you to a merchant in Obama.
Head to Obama on the west coast of Wakasa. You’ll find the merchant – who is Merchant Kin-no-suke – just north of the Kara Market. Speak to him and select give bandit letter. During the cutscene, he’ll take you to his warehouse a little to the west and then wander off. Duck inside for the Letter Regarding Obama. (Hey look, I’m on a watchlist now!)
Picking that up will complete Merchant Kin-no-suke quest(s) and earn you the Armor Damage after Ability engraving.
Where to findMerchant Ginroku
Merchant Ginroku can be found in the Tamba region, specifically within Miyazu Bay. He is always located near one of the bridges in the town, often standing by the western side of the inlet between the bridges southwest of Miyazu Castle. To find him, head to the northwest edge of the Tamba map, approach Miyazu Bay along the western riverbank, and look for his shop on the eastern side of the road near the bridges. Using scouts in the bay can also help pinpoint his exact location. Once found, you can either gather information by knocking him out or assassinate him to progress in The Iron Hand Guild quest in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Merchant Ginroku is all the way at the edge of the map in Miyzau Bay in the northwest of Tamba. Head into town along the west side of the river. You’ll find Merchant Ginroku’s shop along the right (east) side of the road. Loot the Letter Regarding Tamba to wrap the quest and pick up the Ammo on Kill engraving.
Where to find Merchant Kanta
Merchant Kanta can be found in the Mouth of Seta area within the Omi region, specifically in Otsu Port at the Rice Shipyard. He operates a naval business here, with his boats traveling Lake Biwa. Players can locate him moving between his house by the port and the shipyard, or alone in his room in the evening. To find him, use scouts and clues about his naval operation run out of Otsu Port. The easiest way to approach him is by hiding in the bushes in the southeast corner of the Rice Shipyard to either gather intel peacefully or assassinate him for quest progression and rewards.
Your first step in finding Merchant Kanta is to find a missing ship. It was in Omi’s Lake Biwa (the giant lake that is basically all of Omi) and should’ve passed by Okishima – the cat island right in the middle of the lake.
Head over to the west side of the island a little south of the bay. Clear out the pirates and loot the Shipping Manifest.
Next, you’re headed to Otsu Port, also on Lake Biwa. It’s at the southern end of the lake on the west side, just a little north of the Mouth of Seta and the Seta Bridge. You’re looking for the Rice Shipyard about halfway through town.
This is another tough one if you’re trying to avoid (most) bloodshed. Work your way around and take out the various guards (Imai Sokun didn’t say anything about them). Wait until you get Merchant Kanta isolated, grab him, and knock him out.
You’ll get the Critical Chance under Half Health engraving.
Where to find The Iron Hand
The Iron Hand can be found in Fukuchiyama Castle, located in the central part of the Tamba region in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Specifically, he is usually positioned on the southern perimeter of the castle, often near the southeastern garden or the central warehouses. To reach him, players need to gather information by dealing with the Iron Hand Guild merchants scattered across various locations, which will reveal his exact whereabouts. Once located, the Iron Hand is heavily guarded, so players should prepare for a challenging confrontation. Defeating him rewards players with valuable items such as the Bloody Business katana, the Damage with Poisoning engraving, and other significant rewards that can be claimed from Imai Sokun in Sakai.
With the merchants all addressed, you have all the information you need to take on The Iron Hand himself. You’ll find him in central Tamba in Fukuchiyama. The problem is, he’s in the massive Fukuchiyama Castle. Luckily, you should find him on the southern edge. If he’s not in the warehouses in the middle, you’ll find him in the garden to the southeast.
You don’t have to worry about subtlety anymore, so you can go as loud as you want to take out The Iron Hand. You do have to deal with the small crowd of baddies that surround him, though. The good news is, he only has one health chunk, so it’s possible to take him out with a kunai or an arrow without getting your hands dirty.
You’ll get the Letter from Iron Hand, the Bloody Business long katana and the Damage with Poisoning engraving.
The Iron Hand Guild rewards
The Iron Hand Guild rewards in Assassin’s Creed Shadows include valuable experience points, mastery points, unique weapons, and special engravings that enhance character abilities. Each leader or merchant defeated grants 2000 XP and 2 Mastery Points, along with exclusive gear such as the Bloody Business long katana or the Kanabo of Bloody Gluttony. Additionally, completing the entire questline rewards players with the legendary trinket “Fujin’s Tempest,” which boosts damage per alerted province, as well as gold for crafting and upgrading. Players have the choice to kill or spare the merchants, but the rewards remain the same regardless of their decision, with the quest concluding after eliminating the guild leader Iron Hand, who automatically spares the other members.
All that’s left is to head back to Imai Sokun in Sakai to get your reward of the Fujin’s Tempest trinket, the Damage for Alerted Provinces engraving, and a piece of gold (that you can use in place of upgrade materials and mon at the Forge).
Where are all the hidden Iron Hand locations across Japan in Shadows
The five hidden Iron Hand Guild locations across Japan in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are:
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Merchant Kanta: Found on the docks of the Rice Shipyard in Mouth of Seta, Omi province, near the cat island in Omi.
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Merchant Kin-no-suke: Located in the town of Obama, Wakasa province, specifically in the eastern part of the trading port.
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Merchant Tamao: Situated in Kyoto, Yamashiro province, near Honpoji Temple inside a warehouse or brewery.
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Merchant Ginroku: In Miyazu Bay, Tamba province, near the bridges leading into Miyazu Castle.
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The Iron Hand (Guild Leader): Found in Fukuchiyama Castle, Tamba province, on a balcony in the southeastern gardens of the castle.
To locate the Iron Hand himself, you must first gather intel or eliminate the four merchants. This unlocks the final target’s location in Fukuchiyama Castle.
Are there any secret or hard-to-reach Iron Hand locations in Japan
Yes, there are some Iron Hand locations in Assassin’s Creed Shadows that are considered secretive or challenging to reach:
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Merchant Tamao in Kyoto (Yamashiro province) is hidden inside a locked warehouse west of Honpoji Temple. You must lure him out by destroying stock barrels around the yard, then stealthily knock him out without alerting him, making this encounter tricky and requiring careful stealth.
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The Iron Hand himself is located in Fukuchiyama Castle (Tamba province), a heavily guarded high-level area. The Iron Hand can be found on a balcony in the southeastern gardens of the castle. Infiltrating this castle demands careful climbing and stealth to avoid or silently eliminate guards, as a direct confrontation can be difficult due to the number of armored enemies.
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Merchant Kin-no-suke in Obama (Wakasa province) involves a side quest to gather intel from a guarded enemy camp before you can safely approach and knock him out, adding an extra layer of challenge.
Overall, while some merchant locations are in open or less hostile areas, the Iron Hand’s base in Fukuchiyama Castle and the locked warehouse in Kyoto require stealth, patience, and strategic planning to reach and complete objectives without raising alarms.
