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World Heritage temple in Nara vandalized by teen tourist

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Kyodo News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Tourists flock to Nara Park in Nara Prefecture, Japan in June 2023. Mikaela Dizon, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/overseas/07/09/nara.jpg"/><figcaption>Tourists flock to Nara Park in Nara Prefecture, Japan in June 2023. <em>Mikaela Dizon, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>An eighth-century Japanese temple and UNESCO World Heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Toshodaiji Temple, had a building vandalized by a Canadian teen tourist who carved letters into a wooden pillar, local police said Friday.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/03/12/23/nara-deer-have-unique-genotype">Nara deer have unique genotype owing to 1,000 yrs at shrine sanctuary</a></li></ul><p>The 17-year-old boy was questioned on suspicion of violating the cultural properties protection law. He is suspected of having carved letters with his fingernail on the pillar of the temple&#x27;s &quot;Golden Hall,&quot; also designated a national treasure, they said.</p><p>A &quot;J&quot; that was 4 centimeters long and 5 cm wide and &quot;Julian&quot; that was 2.5 cm long and 10 cm wide were inscribed at a height of around 170 cm on the pillar.</p><p>A Japanese tourist saw him vandalizing and alerted temple staff.</p><p>&quot;We are worried that the same thing could happen again. Even though it may have been done without malice, it is still regrettable and sad,&quot; a monk at the temple said.</p><p>Several buildings of the temple in Nara, which is a popular tourist destination, had experienced vandalism in 2015.</p><div><strong>==Kyodo</strong></div>

An eighth-century Japanese temple and UNESCO World Heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Toshodaiji Temple, had a building vandalized by a Canadian teen tourist who carved letters into a wooden pillar, local police said Friday.