Japan, Tokyo

Japan’s latest tourism headache: American arrested for damaging Tokyo shrine
TOKYO, Japan – An American arrested for defacing a sacred Tokyo shrine became the latest example of Japan’s struggle to cope with misbehaving visitors amid a boom in inbound tourism.
American tourist arrested in Japan and accused of defacing shrine gate
Steve Lee Hayes carved letters onto a pillar of a gate of a shrine in Shibuya and was arrested on suspicion of property damage, Tokyo police said.
Japan police arrest American tourist, 65, accused of defacing one of Tokyo’s most iconic shrines
American tourist Steve Hayes was arrested on Wednesday ‘on suspicion of damaging property’ at the Meiji Jingu shrine
American tourist arrested for allegedly defacing gate at Tokyo shrine
A 65-year-old American tourist has been arrested in Japan for allegedly carving letters into a torii gate at a Tokyo shrine.
American tourist arrested in Tokyo for defacing shrine gate
A 65-year-old American tourist has been arrested in Japan for carving letters into a wooden gate at a shrine in Tokyo.
Tokyo police arrest American tourist for allegedly defacing shrine gate
Tokyo authorities arrested a 65-year-old U.S. tourist for allegedly defacing the grate of a local shrine on Tuesday.
American tourist, 65, arrested in Japan for allegedly defacing shrine gate
An American tourist has been arrested in Japan for allegedly carving letters into a pillar of a gate to a shrine in Tokyo.
American tourist arrested in Japan for defacing a religious shrine by carving into gate with his fingernails
A 65-year-old American tourist has been arrested in Japan after being accused of vandalizing a shrine. Steve Lee Hayes was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of property damage, a Tokyo Metropolitan Police spokesperson told TheJapan Times.
American Tourist Busted for Gross Desecration of Tokyo Shrine
An American visiting Japan with his family has been arrested on suspicion of vandalism after allegedly desecrating Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu Shrine. According to Reuters, the 65-year-old (identified as Steve Lee Hayes) clawed five letters representing family names into a pillar of the Torii gates with his fingernails.
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Steven Lee Hayes, 65, is accused of carving his family's name into the gate of a famed Tokyo shrine, say police.
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