Tokyo police arrested a 65-year-old American man Wednesday on suspicion of property damage after he allegedly carved letters into the wooden pillar of a torii gate at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward.
The suspect, identified as Steve Lee Hayes, whose address and occupation are unknown, has admitted to the allegations. He reportedly admitted that he “wrote his family members’ names.”
The arrest stems from an incident that occurred around 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, when Hayes allegedly used his fingernails to etch five letters into one of the shrine’s wooden torii gates.
According to the police’s international crime division, Hayes arrived in Japan on Monday for a sightseeing trip with his family. Security camera footage from around the Meiji Shrine area led investigators to identify him as the suspect. He was detained at a Tokyo hotel on the afternoon of Wednesday. Authorities believe the incident was intended to be an act of mischief.
In a related development, police are also investigating other etchings resembling kanji that were carved into the pillars of another of the shrine's torii gates.
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