Temple sprayed with graffiti after withdrawing from Olympic torch relay

Sunday 20th April, 04:17 PM JST

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fantan99 at 02:40 AM JST - 21st April

Guys, you really shouldn't stereotype an entire race based on the wanton vandalism on one or few mindless individuals. Their despicable behaviour is certainly not representative of any decent Chinese or any other law-abiding people.
Triple888 at 03:52 AM JST - 21st April

I think someone was trying to play tic-tac-toe and couldn't find a surface.
JapaneseExperts at 04:45 AM JST - 21st April

Too bad that had to happen. The same thing happen in Hawaii a few years ago when someone from another country didnt like the way the local Hawaiians treated visitors to the islands. People need to learn how to respect each other.
Shumatsu_Samurai at 05:18 AM JST - 21st April

seesonsam that's nonsense. It is highly unlikely that right-wing Japanese would do something like that because they probably respect the temple a lot.

It was probably down to some Chinese students or whatever. Not necessarily a large number, but the timing makes the nationality/ethnicity of the culprits quite obvious. Don't cover up for the actions of a small number of vandals.
smithinjapan at 05:27 AM JST - 21st April

"It was probably down to some Chinese students or whatever. Not necessarily a large number, but the timing makes the nationality/ethnicity of the culprits quite obvious. Don't cover up for the actions of a small number of vandals."

I think you mean it was probably done BY some Chinese students 'or whatever'. Either way, it's clearly a subjective guess on your part, and not at all as 'obvious' as you seem to think it is.

A shame? without a doubt. The increase in idiots spray-painting graffiti all over the place in Japan is shameful in general, but to try and send some sort of message by marring a temple goes above and beyond. Whomever did it, they should be ashamed.
Shumatsu_Samurai at 06:22 AM JST - 21st April

Either way, it's clearly a subjective guess on your part, and not at all as 'obvious' as you seem to think it is.

So your other suggestion, especially given the timing, is what then? If the only other option is Japanese trying to undermine relations with China by attacking something that probably has great meaning for them then I think it is obvious. If, however, you have other theories I'd like to hear them.
Farmboy at 06:56 AM JST - 21st April

Possible culprits:

Chinese students Japanese students Drunk mixed students Drunk non-students Non-drunk non-students Drunk CIA operatives Non-drunk CIA operatives Disgruntled priests Gruntled priests Frustrated artists Frustrated non-artists Ah..the list goes on...
fireant at 08:23 AM JST - 21st April

My first thought was drunk Japanese high school students did this as a lark to cause a big whoopdedoo in the press.
curlygene at 08:56 AM JST - 21st April

Fireant,

Drunk Japanese high school students with a knowledge of political affairs? Whaa haa haa haa! Good one!
timorborder at 09:55 AM JST - 21st April

Did anyone see the news report of this on TV? It showed members of the plod trying to cover up the grafitti with pieces of blue sheeting. Were those drawing pins holding the sheeting in place? This reminds me of NHK in Kyoto a couple of years ago when they were doing a live location piece from one of the temples (a UNESCO site). Anyway, NHK drove a couple of nails into the temple to secure their lighting....
DeepAir65 at 11:45 AM JST - 21st April

Whoever did this I hope gets caught and has to do 10,000 hours of community service cleaning up graffeti

Senseless
sarcasm123 at 12:30 PM JST - 21st April

I think it was a Chinese who sprayed it to make the right wingers who would be blames for doing this to make the Chinese look bad, look bad.

Or, it was a the right wingers who sprayed it so that people would think that a Chinese sprayed it to make the right wingers who would be blames for doing this to make the Chinese look bad, look bad.

etc etc.

But the most likely solution is that it was just some Chinese. However difficult it will be for some here to accept that...
notimpressed at 10:03 PM JST - 21st April

That makes the most sense yet, great powers of deduction fromsarcasm, and even greater powers of denial from the rest
zaichik at 11:58 AM JST - 22nd April

I hope these philistines get gangrene in their spray-painting fingers. I have fond memories of a number of visits to Zenkoji and am most unhappy to hear of this vandalism.
seesonsam at 08:29 PM JST - 22nd April

When I think more, it is most likely that the right wing Japanese did this because they want to defame Chinese but did not want to harm the building, so they just stained a little on the building. Very possible! Very possible! Most likely!