GenshinZone
I still remember the first time I tried to set foot on Tsurumi Island. The thick fog clung to everything, and every time I pushed forward, the screen would fade and I would be unceremoniously dropped right back at the shore. How many of you have shouted at your screen, wondering if you'd ever break that cycle? After freeing the boy named Ruu and lifting the mist through that four-day ritual, I thought the island's mysteries were finally behind me. I was so wrong.
It turned out the real spectral layer of Tsurumi awakens only after the main questline concludes. One night, while farming materials near Chirai Shrine, I noticed something odd. A translucent figure stood by a broken torii gate, but when I sprinted over, it simply vanished. At first I dismissed it as set dressing. Then I spotted another. And another. Most would scatter the moment I drew near, existing only to haunt the background. But a few didn't run. Instead, they spoke.
This is where the hidden “Boatman’s Task” begins. The ghostly Boatman down at Shirikoro Beach drops cryptic hints about other wandering souls, but never gives you direct map markers. Have you ever pieced together a puzzle from the whispers of the dead? It is equal parts eerie and exhilarating. The ghosts only appear at night, so I made sure to set my in-game clock to 18:00 before starting each search.
There are ten named ghosts in total, counting the sibling pair Kito and Kana who always stay together. Each one has a tiny, personal request — nothing that would qualify as a world boss fight, but enough to make you feel like you're easing their eternal regrets. For example, Abe asks you to locate his buried treasure, while Una wants you to place a sweet flower for a departed friend. Nonno, the playful child ghost, sends you on a hide-and-seek game around Autake Plains. My personal favorite was Ipe, who mistakes you for a shrine maiden and hands over a conch shell that contains yet another hidden spirit. The quests are straightforward, but tracking down where they spawn is the real test. The game gives you precisely zero quest markers until you actually find the ghost and accept their request.
Thankfully, I stumbled upon a weathered map scribbled by a fellow traveler, which laid out nearly every ghost location. Two exceptions exist: one emerges only from the conch obtained from Ipe, and another lurks deep in the underground ruins. I've summarized the full roster in the table below so you don't have to comb through every inch of foggy forest yourself.
| Ghost Name | General Location | Task |
|---|---|---|
| Kito & Kana | Autake Plains | Follow them to a cliffside chest |
| Abe | South of Moshiri Ceremonial Site | Dig up a treasure spot |
| Una | Chirai Shrine | Offer a sweet flower at a grave |
| Nonno | Autake Plains | Play hide-and-seek three times |
| Ipe | Autake Plains (requires conch) | Give him a conch found elsewhere |
| Shitoki | Chirai Shrine underground | Mine an ore spot and bring the ore back |
| Rero | Wakukau Shoal | Find three stone tablets |
| The Conch Ghost | Spawns after using Ipe's conch | Deliver a letter to another ghost |
| Underground Ghost | Ruins beneath Shirikoro Peak | Light torches in the correct order |
| Boatman | Shirikoro Beach | Speak to him after all others are helped |
Completing each spirit's wish rewards you with a Precious Chest or an Exquisite Chest, showering you with primogems, experience books, and mora. The final step requires you to return to the Boatman at Shirikoro Beach. I waited until a quiet in-game midnight, and as I approached him, a short cutscene washed over the screen. The Boatman finally acknowledged that all souls were at peace, and a luxurious chest appeared before me, accompanied by an achievement titled “The Tale of the Boatman.” The catharsis after hours of ghost-chasing felt profound.
Since that night, Tsurumi Island has settled into a peaceful stillness. No new ghosts appear, no fog rolls back. The island remains a haunting postcard of what once was, and you can freely explore every ruin without interruption. Part of me misses the ghostly whispers, but I’m also relieved that no more major changes will sweep across the island. If you haven't yet embarked on this secret quest, don't wait for a phantom invitation. The Boatman is still waiting, and those primogems won't earn themselves.