Teenager accused of vandalizing 8th-century Japanese temple

A 17-year-old Canadian teenager has been taken in for questioning in Japan after being accused of vandalizing a temple Buddhist1,200 years old, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The incident took place on Friday at the Toshodaiji Kondo temple, located in the historic city of Nara, Japan's former capital, south of Kyoto.

A Japanese visitor caught the foreigner carving the name “Julian” with his fingernail on a wooden pillar that supported the roof of the temple, built in 759 AD. The dishonest recording was made more than 1.5 meters off the ground, according to information from the Nara Prefectural Police.

Violations at historic sites

The tourist who witnessed the teenager defacing the landmark scolded him and then alerted temple officials. The Toshodaiji team contacted the police, and the young man was taken in for questioning the next day.

The teen admitted to his act, saying he did not intend to harm Japanese culture, police said. He is currently with his parents, who were present during the incident.

(Image: Nara Prefectural Police/disclosure)

The 17-year-old is being investigated for suspected violations of the Cultural Assets Protection Act. The defaced pillar is part of the temple's "Golden Hall", which was designated a national treasure in 1951.

A monk at Toshodaiji Temple expressed concern that similar acts could be repeated. Even though it was done without malice, the incident is regrettable and sad.

Toshodaiji Temple, founded in the 8th century by the Chinese monk Jianzhen, is one of the eight sites that make up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, listed by the UNESCOas a World Heritage Site in 1998.

This recent case of vandalism in Japan comes just weeks after a tourist from the UK, 27-year-old Ivan Dimitrov, allegedly carved his and his bride's name into a wall of the Colosseum, a 2,000-year-old amphitheater located in Rome that is considered a of seven wonders of the modern world.

After being identified by the Italian police, Dimitrov wrote a letter of apology, admitting his lack of knowledge about the antiquity and importance of the monument and expressing deep embarrassment.