Under Japanese law, such vandalism could result ... Defacing cultural landmarks like the torii gate at the Meiji Shrine is not just an act of property damage—it is viewed as an affront to ...

A 65-year-old U.S. citizen named Steven Lee Hayes on Nov. 14 was accused of defacing the shrine's entry gate. Japanese authorities accused Hayes of using his fingernails to scratch his initials in ...

The gate, designated an important ... He also has crisscrossed Japan to study architectural heritages firsthand. The number of shrines, temples and castles he has visited exceeds 180.

Perched on a wooded hillside in southern Kyoto, Fushimi Inari is a 1,300-year-old temple dedicated to Inari, the Shinto deity of rice and sake (Japanese rice wine). The shrine complex dates back ...

Japan’s Supreme Court rendered judgment in January on a suit that was initially brought by 27 Korean plaintiffs in 2013. The ...