Turns Out Death Stranding Is Inspired By A Real Profession Called “Bokka”

Did you know that all the things you do in Death Stranding are based on a real-life profession that has its roots in Japanese culture? Well maybe not everything, there certainly aren’t any black tar monsters to fight with grenades made out of your excreted bodily fluids but the walking and climbing part? Yeah, that’s real and comes from a Japanese profession called “Bokka.” 

Bokka are porters who carry heavy amounts of weight by attaching cargo on a customized wooden ladder attached to their back. They’re used to carry cargo over remote areas that are inaccessible to vehicles. Sounds familiar?

Bokka carry weights of up to 165kg on their backs as they embark on treks that could last up to an entire day. It’s also a surprisingly popular profession. Men and women, both young and old take part in this and are considered to be healthier than elite athletes. 

I, like many others, found this out recently through an excellent Twitter post by “wrathofgnon.” 

Maybe one of the oddest professions in Japan is that of the bokka (歩荷). Porters who carry supplies to remote mountain guesthouses inaccessible to vehicles. A bokka uses customized wooden ladder frames to carry 100-165kg of supplies on day long marches (walk up, run down). pic.twitter.com/JmD1iGBv7Y

— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) February 29, 2024

While this hasn’t been directly confirmed by the developers themselves, the aforementioned tweet was retweeted by the Kojima Productions Twitter account. We have also reached out to Kojima Productions and Sony for a response.

This parallel adds even more substance to Death Stranding’s already rich narrative and world. In a sci-fi world with hyper-futuristic technology, humanity survives by turning back to old traditions. Had I been a better writer who was more capable of truly expressing just how much it elevates Death Stranding for me, I would write it here, but alas! 

Back in 2019, Death Stranding was lauded for the way it gamified something as simple as walking from one destination to the other. Players loved it as a meditative online experience that emphasized the importance of community and the free will and desire to help other strangers across the ocean. It was, by all accounts, a revolution, even if it wasn’t all perfect, but that’s okay. 

Here’s hoping that the upcoming Death Stranding 2: On the Beach takes what worked in the original Death Stranding and elevates it to a whole new level. We’ve already seen entirely unique hazards and obstacles in a previous trailer, what remains to be seen is whether or not Kojima Productions has it in them to surprise us a second time all over again.