Teenager defaces 8th-century UNESCO-listed temple in Japan, brought in for questioning

A 17-year-old Canadian has been brought for questioning by Japanese authorities after it was discovered he carved his name into an eighth-century UNESCO-listed temple in the historic city of Nara.

The incident took place in the 1,200-year-old Toshodaiji Kondo temple complex on the afternoon of July 7.

''On the southwest side of Toshodaiji Kondo, there are wooden pillars supporting the roof. On the pillars to the side, the boy carved ‘Julian' on a wooden pillar about 170 centimetres above the ground with his nail,'' a police official was quoted as saying by CNN.

The teenager defaced the pillar, situated in the temple's "Golden Hall" which is a designated national treasure. His parents were with him when he vandalised the ancient property, writing the word "Julian" by scratching the pillar.

A tourist saw the teen defacing the pillar and told him to stop before notifying the temple employees. A monk at the temple said, "even though it [vandalism] may have been done without malice, it is still regrettable and sad".

Under Japanese law, any person found damaging an object of "important cultural property" could face up to five years in prison or a fine of $2,120 (¥300,000; £1,650).

The temple is one of the eight sites that make up the historic monuments of ancient Nara which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

“Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and the excavated remains of the great Imperial Palace provide a vivid picture of life in the Japanese capital in the 8th century, a period of profound political and cultural change,” reads the UNESCO inscription.

Man defaces Colosseum

This is not the first instance where a tourist has been found defacing a centuries-old, historical monument. Last month, a tourist from Britaincarved his and his girlfriend's name into an internal wall of the 2,000-year-old Colosseum in Rome.

After becoming a subject of ridiculeinternationally, 27-year-old Ivan Dimitrov, the culprit, said he was unaware of the antiquity of the ancient monument.

In a letter addressed to the Italian authorities, Dimitrov said only now did he realise “the seriousness of the deed committed”.

“Through these lines I would like to address my heartfelt and honest apologies to the Italians and to the whole world for the damage caused to an asset which, in fact, is the heritage of all humanity,” he stated in theletter.

If convicted, he faces a fine of at least $16,500 (€15,000;£12,900) and a prison term of up to five years.

(With inputs from agencies)

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