Yasukuni Shrine hit by graffiti again

For the second time this year, graffiti appeared on a stone pillar near the entrance to the Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, a staff member reported the incident at around 3:50 a.m. on Monday. Someone used a black felt-tip pen to write graffiti on the stone pillar, writing words such as “die,” “militarism” and “toilet.” A similar incident occurred at the same location about two and a half months ago, when a video was shared online in which a Chinese man appeared to urinate on the stone pillar and then wrote “toilet.”” exist Red painting.

A Chinese citizen was arrested for graffiti at the Yasukuni Shrine

In July, 29-year-old Chinese citizen Jiang Zhuojun was arrested for “suspected vandalism and disrespect for places of worship.” He allegedly purchased red spray paint and participated in other activities to damage the pillars. Arrest warrants were also issued for 36-year-old Dong Guangming and 25-year-old Xu Laiyu. They are both on the wanted list. According to the police station Public Security Bureau, Dong Guangming is suspected of being responsible for spraying the paint, while Xu Laiyu was responsible for filming the act. Shortly after the incident, both left Japan and flew to Shanghai from Haneda Airport.

Japan’s most controversial shrine

The Yasukuni Shrine was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and is seen by other Asian countries as a symbol of Japan’s wartime aggression. The shrine honors 2.4 million soldiers who died in the war, including 1,066 war criminals, 14 of whom were charged with Class A crimes. Last week, several high-profile politicians visited the shrine to mark the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II. Both China and South Korea protested, with the South Korean government strongly protesting. urge “Japan’s responsible leaders should face up to history and demonstrate through actions their sincere reflection on and genuine repentance for the past.”

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