Altars of Reflection are scattered across Ezo and bowing at one lets you learn a Technique. There are 61 in total. You only need 30 for the Moments of Reflection trophy, but there’s an extra cushion: you can learn every Technique by visiting 60 of them.

How to use an Altar: approach, then swipe down on the DualSense touchpad to bow. The interaction opens the Technique screen and lets you learn one skill.

How to find Altars of Reflection faster

  • Buy Traveller’s/Cartographer’s maps from Isaburo to reveal Altars on your map.
  • Golden birds can lead to nearby Altars as you explore.
  • Every Yotei Six Camp contains an Altar; liberate the camp and you’ll spawn right in front of it.
  • Altars glow with a warm, yellow ambience and often have fireflies; many are marked on the map when you’re close.
  • Nothing is missable. You can clean up Altars in free roam after finishing the story.

Yotei Grasslands (13 Altars)

Location cue How to reach
Shirahige Falls Enter the large waterfall in the southeast and swim into the cave behind it.
Saito Compound (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate the camp in the south; you’ll spawn at the Altar.
Southwest Bamboo Thicket At Tranquil Falls by the coast, kill the guard, cut through the bamboo, clear or sneak past enemies, then drop right at the end to the cliffside path.
Lost Monk’s Camp → “Lost in Reflection” Meet Gessho east of Yotei’s Shadow Inn and follow him; he opens the path through thick bamboo to the Altar.
Blue-Flowered Cemetery (Crow Genzo) At the back of the graveyard in Jade Grove; defeat Crow Genzo first.
River confluence cave West of Yotei’s Shadow Inn where three rivers meet; look for a yellow-leafed tree and drop into the cave.
Wild Clearing Hot Spring overlook From the Hot Spring at Maw of the Serpent, slide the slope toward the rock outcrop, jump, and grapple across.
Mount Yotei crater Complete the Mount Yotei Shrine climb in the northwest, then slide into the crater at the summit.
Outcrop Homestead (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate the camp along the river near the Golden Foothills; you’ll spawn at the Altar.
Stone Spire Hideout Climb the left spire to a note, play a Shamisen tune, then use the ladder the ronin drops to reach the Altar.
Bamboo Clearing on Sarubetsu bend At the river bend before the split, cut through a small bamboo wall in a circular grove by the bank.
Saito Recruitment Camp (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate the camp north by the Nupur River; you’ll spawn at the Altar.
Serpent’s Pass overlook North in Serpent’s Pass near The Twisted Tree; squeeze into the cave for The Three Terrors, then exit left and climb the cliff.

Ishikari Plain (13 Altars)

Location cue How to reach
Nishin Fishery (Yotei Six Camp) Southwest corner; liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Fire Cricket Canyon ledge North of the canyon; climb the big rock and drop to a grappling-led ledge on the east side.
Otaru Beach coast rock West of the Burned House; climb shore totems up the rock to the Altar.
Broken Horn Garrison (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Masked Man’s Quarry (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Jigoku Fortress cliff route On the cliffside to the right of the fortress; use grapples along the path.
White Deer Woodlands ledge Hug the cliffs right of Matsumae Encampment; climb where a grapple point appears.
West of Sensei Takahashi’s Dojo In the woodlands to the west of the Dojo.
Higashi Lumberyard (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Urara Forest slide Along the eastern perimeter; climb a rock, then slide the far side to the Altar.
Hill above Ishikari Fork From the Fork, head west up the large hill; climb the left rock’s handholds.
Bold Kaji Forge (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Rock east of Bold Kaji Forge Climb the handholds on the far side of the hilltop rock east of the forge.

Tokachi Range (7 Altars)

Location cue How to reach
Monument Tree by Yubari Lake Northwest of the lake lettering; the Altar sits beside the tree.
Bamboo Rock hole (Ishiusu Basin) Southwest corner; drop into the hole, defeat the bear, use the Altar.
Dueling Tree cliff wall Southeast; break a weak wall with the grapple and climb to the top.
Marshland Homestead (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Niikappu River island (Irritating Ronin) Small island in the river; defeat the ronin to access the Altar.
Saru Plains cave gap Drop into the cave and squeeze through a side gap to the Altar.
Hiranui Mill (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate to spawn at the Altar.

Nayoro Wilds (3 Altars)

Location cue How to reach
Southern rock path West of the central river; follow yellow-faced statues up the rocks.
Kankan Creek source At the waterfall on the eastern edge; on a rock in front of the falls.
Western cliff cave From Ikidomari Grove, look left along the cliff; climb the path, go into the cave, keep left, then drop to the chamber below.

Teshio Ridge (16 Altars)

Location cue How to reach
Red Crane Inn cliff Southwest of the inn; climb to the very top next to the frozen waterfall.
Lone yellow tree in the west Stands out in the snow; the Altar sits below it.
Crossroads Trading Post (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Sarobetsu Forest trap door Find a rock with a yellow tree; jump around in front to trigger the snow trap and drop into the pit.
Snow’s Blight Hideout Solve the shrine’s torch and fox-turning puzzle, clear the hidden camp, then climb to the Altar.
Nakajima Ice Cave Hideout Turn entrance fox statues to open a crawlspace, grapple and climb through the cave, clear the camp, then use the rope unlocked by fox statue positions.
Deserted Village (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Owl Mountain slope From the entrance, follow the upper path and climb rocks to the side.
Contested Farm island (far north) South of Shipwreck Coal; follow yellow statues down the cliff to a small island.
Soya Port (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Cape Inari Hideout At the northern tip; solve torch “trident” lanterns to open paths and traverse ropes between peaks to reach the Altar.
Shipwreck Shoal island building Make fox statues face each other to cross a line, then face away to open the door; the Altar is inside.
Sarufutsu Lighthouse → Hunting Camp path Inside the lighthouse, set fox pairs to face each other, place movable foxes, then follow animal guides to a shrine with the Altar.
Snow Drift Springs Hideout Light the correct fox lanterns, then cross to the Altar beyond the hidden camp.
Sentinel Forest Closed-Off Building Navigate the dense bamboo to find a fox statue; bring it to the door altar to unlock the building.
Western Closed-Off Building (Sarobetsu Forest) Follow Kitsune signs; drop into the right-side snow “trap,” interact with the fox statue, and ensure it’s placed on the left pedestal to open the door.

Oshima Coast (8 Altars)

Location cue How to reach
Iwasaki Farmstead (Yotei Six Camp) Western Oshima; liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Oiso Fishing Village (Yotei Six Camp) Southwest; liberate to spawn at the Altar.
West coast rocks beyond Forgotten Shrine Climb the second large coastal rock and follow the ridge to the Altar.
Miyama Village (Yotei Six Camp) Liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Lake island southeast of Miyama Use the shoreline grapple to reach the small island.
Saito Artillery Outpost (Yotei Six Camp) Eastern Oshima; liberate to spawn at the Altar.
Matsumae Castle outer grounds Enter via the southeast; a small open building on the right houses the Altar.
Kasuga Village (Yotei Six Camp) East Oshima; liberate to spawn at the Altar.

If you’re chasing Techniques early, prioritize camp liberations—they’re guaranteed Altars and fast travel points. For the trickier shrine chains in Teshio Ridge, study fox statue orientations and torch icons before lighting or turning anything; most sequences lock in progress with audible cues, and the final Altar usually sits just beyond the last rope or unlocked door.