Tokyo Police Issue Arrest Warrant for Graffiti Incident

Tokyo police have issued an arrest warrant for a 14-year-old Chinese boy for graffiti at the Yasukuni Shrine, a site of historical significance tied to Japan's war legacy. The boy allegedly wrote Chinese characters meaning 'toilet' and the letters 'SB' on a stone pillar around 10 p.m. on August 18 using a black felt-tip pen. Security camera footage captured him committing the act, and he reportedly posted an image of the graffiti on social media afterward. He had arrived in Japan a few days prior with a relative and left for Hong Kong the day after the incident. This case follows a similar incident in May, where another Chinese man was indicted for defacing the same pillar. The Yasukuni Shrine continues to be a point of diplomatic tension, particularly with China, due to its association with Japan's wartime leaders, some of whom were convicted as war criminals.