A 39-year-old Taiwanese woman has been arrested in Japan after allegedly splashing a liquid onto the historic “Buddha Footprint Stone”, a national treasure housed at Yakushiji Temple in Nara.
The incident reportedly took place on April 6 at around 1.20pm, when the woman allegedly poured a liquid over the cultural artefact inside the temple’s Great Lecture Hall. The Buddha Footprint Stone, which bears markings believed to represent the footprints of Buddha, is regarded as one of the oldest surviving examples of its kind in Japan and holds significant historical and religious value.
Japanese police spent several months investigating the case before identifying the suspect. On August 22, officers arrested the Taiwanese woman when she re-entered Japan through Kansai International Airport. She is suspected of violating Japan’s Act on Protection of Cultural Properties.
Investigators later determined that the liquid found on the stone was colourless, transparent glycerine, a substance commonly used in cosmetics and other products. During questioning, the woman reportedly admitted to the act, telling police that she would “pray by pouring oil” over things that moved or touched her.
She also allegedly told investigators that she had carried out similar acts at other locations in Japan. Police are now looking into whether other cultural properties or sites may have been affected.
The arrest has also triggered speculation online after Japanese media reported that the suspect was a Taiwanese woman named 蔡宜臻, aged 39, who works as a host. Netizens subsequently pointed out similarities between those details and Taiwanese entertainer 五熊 (蔡頤榛), who is also 39 and has worked as a presenter.
Online users further noted that the entertainer had travelled to Nara around April, leading to speculation that she could be the woman arrested. However, the available reports provided do not confirm that the arrested woman is the entertainer, while Japanese authorities and the entertainer’s representatives had not publicly confirmed the speculation at the time of reporting.
The case has sparked discussion over the boundaries between personal religious practices and the protection of cultural heritage. While the suspect reportedly described the act as a form of prayer, authorities are investigating whether the act caused damage to the protected artefact and whether similar incidents may have occurred elsewhere.
