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submitted 1 month ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Summary

Steve Lee Hayes, a 65-year-old American tourist, was arrested in Tokyo for allegedly carving family members’ names into a wooden Torii gate at the Meiji Shrine.

Surveillance footage led police to his hotel, where he was detained.

Hayes admitted to the act, which could result in up to three years in prison or a fine of 300,000 yen ($1,900).

The Meiji Shrine, a significant Shinto site, was built in 1920 to honor Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The incident occurs amid a surge in international tourism to Japan this year.

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[-] Tudsamfa@lemmy.world -3 points 1 month ago

Do we really need people to look down on that much that it warrants these comments? Don't get me wrong, he is a jerk and behaves like a teenager while 65, but people here act like he jumped a barrier to shit in a millenia old sarcophagus instead of pressing his thumb into 100 year old wood. I think I may have done worse at my old school.

This site's against a police state, but wants the government to crack down on this nuisance with all its might. We're against Religion, but Japan's emperor cult is sacred. Throw molotovs into governmental buildings, but don't you dare touch this wooden arch.

Just let him pay the fine, have the sites insurance cover restoration, big whoop.

[-] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

To be fair, I personally put Shintoism in a very different box than that of typical Western religions. Shits just about respect and balance, not begging for forgiveness from some god and hating gay people.

Fuck this grown ass man.

[-] Tudsamfa@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

I would never generalize a religion that much, especially when I don't know anyone who does practice it or has to live under it. When all you have is how it is represented, you tend to idolize it and miss the practical aspects of the faith, like how hating gays and abortions isn't explicitly in the bible yet those are more important aspects to Christianity in practice than Sola Fide.

I learned my lesson after reading about Buddhism in Myanmar, if you say it's just about respect and balance, I don't believe you.

[-] Mwa@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Religions don't hate lgbtq they just don't support it,Most of them say dont bully them tbh.

[-] x4740N@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Oh sod off

The asshole defaced a monument and deserves what they get

You sound like the same kind of person that calls every Japanese person racist because some tourist misunderstood something for being racist because they don't speak Japanese and / or didn't realise Japanese culture is different or a small incident got blown out of proportion like one restaurant only allowing Japanese people in when it's just one restaurant and was blown out of proportion by media and people like you

I'm sick and kind of this kind of shitty toxic misinformative behaviour from online users like you

Stop the misinformed hate boner you have for Japan

[-] Tudsamfa@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

What?

My main point was that I don't think this guy deserves 5 years in jail or a permanent travel ban, what other commenter here have stated they want for him. He deserves what he got until now, yes, and what the court will likely order: a fine, no jail time, because this offence is minor.

Why do you then go on a tirade? Is even mentioning the Emperor cult in the context of a Meji shrine racist, or what triggered that response?

I appreciate you at least phrasing that tirade with "you sound like", but then you drop that and say that I objectively am misinformed and have a hate boner. Why even quantify the first part with subjectivity if you won't keep it up? Also, I need a few more reasons why you would write this.

A strange response all around.

[-] Objection@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 month ago

Realistically you're right, but also tourists disrespecting the cultural sites they're visiting is especially grating, particularly when it's a white guy and in a nonwhite country, and Americans specifically have a reputation for this sort of thing which some of us are embarrassed by and want to distance ourselves from.

Like, if this was a Japanese person who was doing it to spite the imperial family, I'd be totally fine with it, but this guy just seems disrespectful of the culture in general, like, if there was some kind of cultural site dedicated to spiting the emperor, he'd likely deface that just as readily. Practically speaking, whatever punishment is applied to shitty tourists will also be applied to political protestors, so legally it's better if it's a slap on the wrist, but we can still say the guy sucks.

[-] MaxHardwood@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

So the cost to deface or damage whatever anybody wants is just $2k?

[-] Tudsamfa@lemmy.world -1 points 1 month ago

I very specifically said about this case only, a fine is appropriate.

Can you explain how my comment would read as "defacing anything ever should result only in fines"?

[-] bravemonkey@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Carving letters into the wood equals ‘pressing his thumb’ to you? Did you even read the article? Regardless, let me ‘press my thumb’ into your forehead and see if you think it’s fine, just let me be.

[-] Tudsamfa@lemmy.world 0 points 1 month ago

Hayes is accused of “carving the alphabet with his fingernails” into the wooden pillar of Meiji shrine gate in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward around 11am on Tuesday, police told the outlet.

[-] bravemonkey@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago

Yes, that's very different than the 'pressing your thumb' like you said in the message I was replying to.

this post was submitted on 16 Nov 2024
54 points (100.0% liked)

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