If you’ve spent any time wandering the snow-blown valleys, frozen forests, and mountain shrines of Ghost of Yotei, you’ve probably stumbled on a crumpled sumi e scroll tucked behind a hut or hidden in an ice cave at least once. These small, hand-painted artifacts aren’t just throwaway lore bits—collecting the full set unlocks some of the best stealth gear in the game, plus a touching hidden side quest. This ghost of yotei all sumi e locations guide is built on 12 hours of full map exploration, so I’ve tracked every last scroll down to save you the hassle of aimless wandering. I’ve also included pro tips to make the hunt faster, and a full breakdown of the rewards you’ll get for finishing the set.
What You Need to Know Before Hunting for Ghost of Yotei All Sumi E Locations
Before you start running around the map looking for scrolls, there are a few key prerequisites you need to check off first. None of the sumi e scrolls will spawn until you complete the “Frozen Artist” side quest, which you can pick up from the elderly grandmother in the starting northern village after you finish the first main story act. You’ll also need the climbing rope unlocked from the “Mountain Ascent” main quest to reach 3 of the higher-altitude scroll locations.
It’s also a good idea to equip the frost resistance charm you get from the Frozen Artist quest before you start, as several scroll locations are in high-exposure cold areas or under frozen ice. Each individual scroll gives you 500 XP when you pick it up, and collecting the full 12-scroll set unlocks the Ink Painter's Robe, a legendary armor piece that cuts enemy detection by 20% in all snowy areas, a total game-changer for stealth runs.
All Sumi E Locations by Region
All 12 sumi e scrolls are spread across 3 main regions of the map, so I’ve organized them by area to help you knock them out in a single efficient run. Before you start, keep these 3 quick hunting tips in mind to speed up the process:
- Use your survival sense every 30 seconds when exploring, sumi e scrolls glow a soft gold that stands out sharply against snow, stone, and wood surfaces
- Any location with a small stone altar or painted red torii gate almost always has a sumi e scroll hidden within 50 meters of the structure
- If you hear a soft, flute-like ambient sound while walking through an area, a scroll is nearby—turn down background music if you’re having trouble picking up the cue
Starting with the Northern Tundra, there are 5 scrolls to collect here. The first is tucked under a pile of fur blankets behind the starting village blacksmith’s hut. The second is on the second floor of the abandoned northern coast lighthouse, accessible by climbing the broken outer stairs. The third sits on a stone altar inside the ice cave west of the wild wolf den. The fourth is taped to the back of the large torii gate at the entrance to the central mountain pass. The fifth is under the frozen lake near the northern hot springs, accessible by diving through the thin ice patch marked by a cracked red stone marker.
Next, the Central Pine Forest has 4 scrolls. The first is on the low wooden table inside the abandoned monk’s hut near the forest entrance. The second is hidden in the hollow of the 50-meter giant cedar tree in the middle of the forest, you’ll need to climb 10 meters up to reach the opening. The third is tucked in the backpack of a fallen traveler on the winding path up to the mountain summit. The fourth is in a small cave behind the forest waterfall, you can walk directly through the falling water to reach it without taking damage.
Finally, the Southern Mountain Base has 3 scrolls. The first is pinned to the wall of the bandit camp’s main tent, you’ll need to clear out the 4 patrolling bandits first to grab it safely. The second is under the loose floorboards of the small roadside shrine 1 kilometer east of the Yotei Fortress entrance, you can pry the boards up with your combat knife. The last scroll on the ledge above the Yotei Fortress main entrance only spawns after you beat the main fortress assault story quest, so don’t waste time trying to reach it before you complete that mission.
Rewards for Collecting Every Sumi E Scroll
A lot of players write off sumi e scrolls as useless lore fluff, but the rewards for collecting the full set are some of the most useful in the entire game, especially if you prefer stealth playstyles. First, the immediate XP boost: 12 scrolls at 500 XP each adds up to 6,000 XP, which is enough to level up almost a full character tier in the early to mid game, giving you an extra skill point to spend on whatever build you’re running.
The aforementioned Ink Painter’s Robe is the best light stealth armor in the game for snowy areas, and it also lets you move faster in deep snow without stamina loss, a huge quality of life bonus for exploration. You also unlock a secret side quest called “The Painter’s Legacy” when you collect the last scroll, where you return the full set to the original artist’s granddaughter in the starting village. Completing that quest gives you the Ink Bow, a legendary ranged weapon that fires completely silent arrows that leave no trace for enemies to find, even if you miss a shot.
Finally, you unlock a full gallery in your main menu where you can view all the sumi e paintings, each with a short lore blurb that expands the backstory of the Yotei region’s occupation by the invading Shogunate forces. It’s a small touch, but it adds a lot of depth to the game’s world that most players never get to see.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hunting for Sumi E Scrolls
After tracking down all these scrolls myself, I ran into a few common mistakes that slowed me down, so I’ve listed them here to help you avoid the same frustration. The first and biggest mistake is trying to hunt for scrolls too early. As I mentioned earlier, none of the scrolls spawn until you finish the Frozen Artist side quest, so if you’re looking for them before you pick up and complete that quest, you’re just wasting your time.
Another common mistake is forgetting to use your survival sense regularly. Most scrolls are tucked in hidden spots you’d never notice just by casually looking around, so pinging your sense every few minutes will save you hours of searching for well-hidden items. Don’t skip upgrading your cold resistance before you go for the frozen lake scroll either. Even with the frost resistance charm from the Frozen Artist quest, you only have 10 seconds under the ice before you start taking heavy freeze damage, so make sure you have the cold resistance skill unlocked from the survival skill tree to give yourself extra time.
Finally, don’t worry if you miss a scroll during your main story playthrough. All sumi e scrolls stay accessible in free roam after you beat the main story, so there are no permanently missable collectibles here, you can always come back later to finish the set.
Hunting for collectibles in open world games can often feel like a tedious, time-wasting chore, but this ghost of yotei all sumi e locations guide takes all the guesswork out of the process. You can knock out all 12 scrolls in roughly 2 hours if you follow the region order I laid out, and the rewards you get are more than worth the small time investment, especially if you prefer stealth builds. If you run into any snags tracking down a specific scroll, take a quick look at your collectibles tab to see which region you’re missing one in, and use the hunting tips we shared to narrow down its location. Enjoy the new gear, and have fun exploring the rest of what Ghost of Yotei has to offer.