Japanese authorities arrested a 65-year-old American tourist Wednesday for allegedly vandalizing a historic gate at Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine, amid a surge of tourism that has raised concerns about preserving Japan’s cultural sites.
Steve Lee Hayes faces charges of property damage after allegedly using his fingernails to carve family members’ names into a wooden pillar of the shrine’s torii gate in the Shibuya Ward, according to Tokyo Metropolitan Police. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. Tuesday during what police described as a family vacation to Japan.
Investigators tracked Hayes through surveillance footage before detaining him at his Tokyo hotel. He admitted to “writing his family members’ names” on the pillar, police told The Japan Times. It remains unclear whether Hayes’s family was present during the alleged vandalism.
The American tourist could face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 300,000 yen ($1,900) if convicted.
The Meiji Shrine, established in 1920 to honor Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken’s role in modernizing Japan, holds significant cultural and religious importance. Its torii gates, which mark the transition from the secular to the sacred in Shinto tradition, are considered particularly significant religious symbols.
The incident occurs as Japan experiences a tourism boom, with the Japan National Tourism Organization reporting more than 24 million visitors between January and August 2024, raising questions about balancing tourism access with cultural preservation.
