Tokyo Police Get Warrant for Chinese Youth over Yasukuni Graffiti

Tokyo, Nov. 21 (Jiji Press)--The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has obtained an arrest warrant for a Chinese youth in his 10s over graffiti at the Japanese capital's war-related Yasukuni Shrine, investigative sources said Thursday.

The Chinese youth is suspected of writing Chinese words, including one meaning toilet, as well as "SB," which means stupid in Chinese internet slang, on a stone pillar and its base at the shrine around 10 p.m. on Aug. 18.

The arrest warrant cites charges of damaging property and disrespecting a place of worship.

According to the sources, the youth, along with a woman believed to be his relative, arrived in Japan a few days before the incident. Footage from security cameras around the shrine shows him standing alone on the pillar base and later walking to a hotel where he was staying in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward. He left Japan for Hong Kong the day after the incident.

The youth has posted pictures of himself and the graffiti, which is believed to have been drawn with a black marker, on social media.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]