For the second time this year, some graffiti has been found on a stone pillar near the entrance of Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, a report was filed by a staff member at approximately 3:50 a.m. on Monday. Somebody used a black felt-tip pen to deface the pillar with words such as “Die,” “Militarism” and “Toilet.” A similar incident occurred at the same spot around two and a half months ago when a video was shared online of a Chinese man who appeared to urinate on the pillar before writing “Toilet” in red paint.
One Chinese National Arrested for Previous Graffiti Incident at Yasukuni Shrine
In July, Chinese national Jiang Zhuojun, 29, was arrested “on suspicion of vandalism and disrespect for a place of worship.” He allegedly bought the red spray paint and played other roles in vandalizing the pillar. Arrest warrants were also issued for Dong Guangming, 36, and Xu Laiyu, 25. They were both placed on wanted lists. According to the police department’s Public Security Bureau, Dong was allegedly responsible for the spray-painting while Xu filmed the act. Both men departed Japan shortly after the incident, heading on a plane to Shanghai from Haneda Airport.
Japan’s Most Controversial Shrine
Founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869, Yasukuni Shrine is a site other Asian nations see as a symbol of Japan’s wartime aggression. It contains 2.4 million names of people killed in war, including 1,066 convicted war criminals, 14 of whom were charged with Class A crimes. Last week, several high-profile politicians visited Yasukuni Shrine to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II. Both China and South Korea lodged a protest, with the latter urging “Japan’s responsible leaders to confront history and demonstrate genuine reflection and sincere remorse for the past through their actions.”
