A male under 20 who recently traveled to China has been identified as the suspect in a graffiti incident at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, according to investigative sources. The suspect was captured on a security camera climbing onto the pedestal of a stone pillar at the shrine, where the graffiti was discovered the following day. It is believed that he shared an image of the graffiti on Chinese social media.
The graffiti, which appeared to be drawn with a black felt-tip pen, consisted of Chinese characters and included words meaning “toilet,” according to police. The suspect is now facing charges of property damage.
Prior to the incident, the suspect had arrived in Japan with several individuals but visited Yasukuni Shrine alone. He later made his way to Shinjuku Ward where his hotel was located.
This is not the first time that this particular pillar has been targeted. In May, it was defaced with red spray-painted English word “toilet.” A Chinese man living in Japan was indicted in July for property damage and desecration of a place of worship related to that incident. Additionally, two other Chinese men are currently wanted for their alleged involvement in defacing the pillar back in May.
Yasukuni Shrine has long been a source of tension between Japan and its neighboring countries due to its association with Japanese wartime leaders who were convicted as war criminals after World War II. These leaders are among over 2.4 million war dead honored at the shrine.
The investigation into this recent graffiti incident continues as authorities work towards bringing those responsible to justice.
© KYODO