In Forza Horizon 6, players have discovered an unusual feature: sakura trees on the Japan map are completely indestructible. While most objects in the open world — fences, road signs, and even ordinary trees — are easily broken upon collision, sakura can instantly stop a car at full speed.
Sakura holds special cultural significance for Japan and is considered a symbol of beauty, the transience of life, and mortality. Such trees traditionally grow near temples, shrines, and other historically important places. This is why the developers decided to make them an exception to the usual destruction system.
During the spring season in the game, sakura can be found in several regions of the map. However, attempting to drive through these trees results in an abrupt stop of the car.
Forza Horizon 6 Design Director Torben Ellert explained the team's decision in a comment to The Japan Times. According to him, almost all trees in the game can be destroyed to make world exploration more spectacular and engaging. Nevertheless, some types of trees, including sakura, were intentionally protected out of respect for Japanese culture.
In addition, the developers specifically excluded the possibility of destroying certain temples, shrines, and other culturally significant objects so that players would not perceive such places as mere obstacles for high-speed ramming.