Italians amazed at fallout in Japan over graffiti

There have been a few news reports recently about Japanese students scrawling their names and other phrases on the wall of a world heritage cathedral in Florence, Italy. But now it has come to light that a teacher has also been disciplined for writing graffiti.

A high school baseball coach resigned after it was revealed that he, too, had written graffiti at a world heritage site in Firenze, Italy, during his honeymoon two years ago. The 30-year-old coach, from Ibaraki Prefecture, admitted writing his and his wife’s names on the wall of the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral. He says, “I didn’t think it was such a big deal.”

The school principal told Japanese media that a coach “must be aware of his behavior as an educator.” One parent of a student at the school said, “The punishment is reasonable because he defaced a world heritage site,” while another parent said, “A suspension would have been adequate.”

On the other hand, Italian media have expressed surprise at the fallout in Japan. Some local newspapers in Italy said: “Forcing the coach to resign is too harsh. Italian police and security officials at the cathedral should monitor visitors’ behavior more properly.”

Another newspaper in Firenze reported on July 1: “Japanese are not allowed to write graffiti during their holidays even if they are on the other side of the Earth. Japanese are merciless toward those who make mistakes.”

Looking at the cathedral, there is more graffiti written in English and Italian than Japanese. The public in Italy doesn’t seem to take the problem seriously. In fact, stalls even sell pens to tourists at the cathedral and other sites.

An Italian journalist says, “Resigning is too severe a punishment because we can find graffiti anywhere. Is that a Japanese tradition? Every Italian now knows about this issue through nationwide news coverage on it. Unfortunately, this news doesn’t prevent graffiti itself. But no one would get that sort of punishment in Italy.”

Whatever locals in Italy say, the cathedral has been receiving messages from Japanese, including the coach, apologizing for the graffiti. Locals say they are “overwhelmed” by such an attitude. (Translated by Taro Fujimoto)

Latest 15 of 31 Total Comments Show All

dammit at 09:47 PM JST - 8th July

One parent of a student at the school said, “The punishment is reasonable because he defaced a world heritage site,”

I'll bet that parent would sing to a different tune if it was his/her darling child who's name was scrawled in kanji all over the cathedral!

Some local newspapers in Italy said: “security officials at the cathedral should monitor visitors’ behavior more properly.”

Absolutely, what the heck do they think their job is? To stand around looking tough (or flabby), waiting to be picked up (or laughed at) by nubile young ladies?
GJDailleult at 11:08 PM JST - 8th July

Defacing a cathedral is a little different than getting sick in a train station.

RofT, I'd agree with you on that, and your other comment, if what they were doing was actually defacing a cathedral. But they weren't, they were just adding to the graffiti that was already there, in other words it was already defaced. Maybe some people here don't see a difference, but seems clear to me. And seems that in Italy that is looked on as a social annoyance that most people don't approve of and don't want to see, but not something that gets you sacked or suspended from school. Pretty much the same as getting sick in a train station is looked on in Japan. No wonder they are surprised by the reaction.
Soochi at 11:09 PM JST - 8th July

I'd love to see these goons pull the same stunt on The Great Mosque in Mecca.

"Kenji 4 Yuri 4 ever!" THHHWWAAACKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!
usaletterhead at 06:30 AM JST - 9th July

Ciao! Japanese soccer coach at Italy scrawls kanji upon Catholic cathedral and after translation it implies:

HE LOVES HER!

How nice.
Speed at 09:24 AM JST - 9th July

Perhaps this attitude by the Italians helps explain the ridiculous amount of graffiti there. It's ugly and shouldn't be tolerated. It would do them good to adapt the Japanese attitude and response to vandalizing World Heritage Sites (or anyplace else for that matter).

"There's a time and place for everything." Young people need to learn this and older people in society around the world are responsible for teaching this BY EXAMPLE (not just with words).
Bungleer at 09:45 AM JST - 9th July

"just adding to the graffiti that was already there, in other words it was already defaced"

Aha, so if everyone else is doing it it's OK, but if you happen to be the first one it is not? So if two people beat up one person and you kick him, too, it wouldn't count as physical injury, because the person was already beat up by others and already injured, too?

Great logic.
GJDailleult at 12:33 PM JST - 9th July

Aha, so if everyone else is doing it it's OK, but if you happen to be the first one it is not?

Where did I say it was OK? I said it was different. A clean wall with no graffiti is "not defaced". A wall covered in graffiti is already "defaced". Different situations. But clearly some people prefer to ignore that and blow things up out of proportion.
electric2004 at 12:56 PM JST - 9th July

a) As is known, "the first cut is the deepest".

b) Why writing your name? Write the name of a co-worker who blocks your promotion.
LFRAgain at 01:44 PM JST - 9th July

Maybe I'm being too sentimental, but if the locals in Italy were overwhelmed by the gravity with which Japan took the defecing of irreplaceable cultural treasures, maybe this will have a positive effect on how Italians treat their own cultural artifacts. Who knows? Maybe they'll reverse the trend of defacing their own history.
European1 at 02:37 PM JST - 9th July

communistic regime in Japan keep children away from doing such things, but I think this is very good at this point. On the other hand these young people along with "childish" teacher showed no respect for other culture and their real "wa" blew up. What do they think? "WE" Japanese are allowed to do what we want to?
bobthecat at 07:05 PM JST - 9th July

Different cultures, different perspectives, but unfortunately in some cultures there are extremes that are severely taken too far. Still attempting to deface a mosque in mecca, wouldn't be so bad because the authorities wouldn't just slap a fine, they'd probably chop off your hands at the wrists - considering the appropriate punishiment of their culture.

Grafitti is a problem everywhere, its just part of the sub-culture of Popular Culture. Its what defines our generation, at least for some of us.
paolo27th at 12:39 AM JST - 11th July

The thing is this stuff happens ALL the time in Italy. The Japanese seem to have thought that the students were alone in the stupidity and somehow made Japan look bad internationally. No such thing. Their graffiti definitely won't look any worse than the thousands others already there. So don't worry, move on with your life and don't feel ashamed or in need to apologise when I tell you I'm Italian.
niku at 05:41 PM JST - 11th July

Japanese are merciless toward those who make mistakes. Soooooooooooooo true
kjunluc2 at 09:38 AM JST - 14th July

****KILROY WAS HERE1 This was left around a great part of the globe by American military during WW11. The Ugly American has been joined by the Ugly Japanese. They were a humble, well-mannered people for years after the war. Sad to say, many of them, company people and students, who come here for a short time are arrogant as hell. C'est la vie. The world has changed.
Molenir at 11:36 AM JST - 18th July

This is one of the rare examples of the punishment being out of proportion to the crime. In Japan, if you murder someone, you can frequently get away with 7 years in jail, sometimes less if its a family member or you do the apology thing. But, to destroy peoples lives, merely for adding to the already enormous amount of graffiti that others have left. This to me seems extreme.