Tourist's antics spark outrage at Tokyo's sacred sites
The antics of tourists in places of religious worship never cease to amaze. In Japan, there's much talk about an American tourist who carved letters into the wooden gate of one of Tokyo's most frequently visited temples.
11:44 AM EST, November 14, 2024
Meiji-jingū is a Shinto place of worship in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, attracting both the faithful and tourists alike.
An American tourist went too far
An American tourist who arrived in Japan on Monday, November 11, visited the temple along with his family. Unfortunately, he resorted to a foolish prank, carving letters with his fingernails into one of the torii pillars, the traditional gate at the entrance to Meiji-jingū shrines.
The police arrested the man the next day. The 65-year-old was charged with desecrating the site; however, the consequences he faced for this misconduct were not disclosed.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. The day before, other carvings resembling Chinese characters were found on another gate leading to the same temple. The perpetrator was not identified.
Yasukuni also desecrated
This week, the police initiated an investigation after a symbol meaning "death" was discovered in two places on the stone wall of the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. In June and August, the pillars of this shrine's gate were marked with inscriptions meaning "toilet" in English and Chinese.
Yasukuni has been controversial for years. It commemorates over 2 million Japanese who died in World War II, including 14 politicians and military leaders recognized as war criminals by an international tribunal.
