In Ghost of Yotei, the golden ginkgo leaf symbol plays an important gameplay role by marking your main objectives and guiding you through quests.

The Golden Ginkgo leaf and quest navigation

The golden ginkgo leaf serves as a map marker that you can use to track key missions, especially after completing the prologue.

For example, it appears northwest of the main character Atsu’s family home, leading you to places like Yotei’s Shadow Inn.

But its main purpose is to get you to track down the villains of the game - the Yotei Six. The game goes on to mention: "The Gold Ginkgo leaf represents Atsu's Hunt. Seek out these locations to track down the Yotei Six."

In-game, you can create a waypoint on the leaf icon on the map, then use the touchpad to summon a guiding wind that pushes you gently toward your goal.

Note that there is no traditional on-screen compass or marker in Ghost of Yotei—the wind and the golden ginkgo leaf are your primary navigation tools. 

How to follow the Golden Ginkgo leaf and use guiding wind

Step 1

Open your map in Ghost of Yotei and look for the golden ginkgo leaf icon northwest of Atsu’s home or at your current story objective.

Step 2

Set a waypoint on the golden ginkgo leaf icon by pressing your controller’s designated button for marking locations.

Step 3

Return to gameplay and swipe up on your controller’s touchpad to summon the guiding wind.

Step 4

Follow the breeze that visibly pushes your character toward the leaf-marked objective or destination.

Step 5

Complete the mission or location task indicated by the golden ginkgo leaf to unlock rewards or story progression.

Significance of the Golden Ginkgo leaf in armor upgrades

Because the Golden Ginkgo leaf represents Atsu's hunt, it is also tied to progressive upgrades of a special armor set called the Onryo armor. This armor does not upgrade at a blacksmith or require crafting materials; rather, it improves automatically as you complete major story milestones. Tracking a mission marked by the ginkgo leaf and completing it triggers an automatic rank increase for the Onryo armor.

The golden Ginkgo leaf serves as a unique compass through a world that forgoes traditional HUD elements in favor of natural metaphors. This design choice fits nicely with the game’s thematic focus on nature, spirits, and ancient Japanese culture.