The original story concept was written by Hashino , while the scenario was co-written by Shinji Yamamoto and Yuichiro Tanaka . The initial concept was for a storyline that diverged from the established paths of '' Persona 3 '' and '' Persona 4 '' , with " self-discovery " and " journey " being its keywords . Originally using the concept of a backpacking trip around the world as a framing device for the story , Hashino decided to refocus on Japan in the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami . More specifically , it has been noted that the Japanese government 's actions in response to the earthquake and tsunami 's fallout , along with Japanese citizens ' reactions to how the government acted during that time , may have served as partial influences on the game 's themes . Following that crisis and seeing how people were bonding in the face of it , Hashino decided to have the story take place solely in Japan , with the journeying being done through the ever-shifting Palaces . Ultimately , the story 's central concepts were inspired by equivalent social changes he saw in modern society , particularly in Japan . Hashino also described the central theme of the game as being about freedom and how the characters attain it . He wanted to make the game more " thematically approachable " for newcomers to the series , and to be an emotional experience that left its audience with a strong sense of catharsis and the inspiration to take on problems in their lives
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Persona 5