65 year old American tourist carves last name into 100 year old Japanese shrine.. perp walk

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/15/travel/american-tourist-arrested-tokyo-shrine-gate-intl-hnk/index.html

The suspect, Steve Lee Hayes, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of property damage, a Tokyo Metropolitan Police spokesperson told CNN.

According to public broadcaster NHK, five letters – believed to be the tourist’s family name – were allegedly etched into a gate pillar at Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine.

Police reportedly identified the suspect by reviewing security camera footage and have launched an investigation.

Located adjacent to the city’s sprawling Yoyogi Park, Meiji Shrine first opened in 1920 and was dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The complex was destroyed during World War II but rebuilt in the 1950s.


417,702 views Nov 16, 2024
Japan's Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested a 65-year-old American man on suspicion of property damage. Security footage at the Meiji Jingu Shrine led authorities to this tourist's hotel room to apprehend him. Police say the suspect admitted to using his fingernails to carve the initials of his family members into a wooden pillar at the over 100-year-old Shinto Shrine. The American suspect could face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 1 million yen or about $6,500 US dollars.

[LakeVermilion]

1. Just spitballing,

but he might have carved those initials in some other places prior to this location.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

2. agreed. probably traveled the world carving initials into things. entitled jerk!!

[Straw Man]

3. The Meiji Shrine?

That's like tagging the Vatican. What an asshole.

But with his fingernails? Who can carve wood with their fingernails?

[exboyfil]

4. Dracula

https://www.bigissue.com/culture/film/30-years-on-bram-stokers-dracula-is-still-the-most-beautiful-film-committed-to-celluloid/

[Blue_Tires]

19. "most beautiful?"

LOL at that!

[Auggie]

5. I vote for the five years in prison

[2naSalit]

14. Same here...

$6500 is hardly a consequence for this guy.

[Chellee]

15. Why not both?

I vote for both.

[Scrivener7]

6. There is no question in my mind who he voted for.

[John Shaft]

7. Too bad they can't extradite him back to Alabama or Louisiana to serve his prison sentence.

if he gets one.

He'll be treated with way too much dignity in a Japanese prison, even for gaijin.

[Dumpy]

12. Japanese prisons are strict structure of rehabilitation and punishment

https://englishlawyersjapan.com/what-is-life-like-in-japanese-prison/

[DiverDave]

16. Just a guess

He doesn't speak Japanese. As ALL communication inside is in Japanese..
Turns out, you are allowed to watch T.V., read and speak Japanese, only. Even to fellow inmates.
Immersion language training. Lol.
It doesn't sound like a country club prison.
I imagine he only speaks very loud English when in a foreign country.
Poor guy.
Expect a go fund me and stories of how he is a great guy.
No sympathy from me.

[Straw Man]

34. Yup.

He doesn't speak Japanese. As ALL communication inside is in Japanese.

I lived in Japan for most of the 90s. I had an American friend whose former girlfriend, also American, was incarcerated there for a drug offense which would have been relatively minor here. When he visited her, he had to provide an interpreter, at his own expense, who would translate their conversation into Japanese so they could be transcribed for the prison records.

[obamanut2012]

26. No he won't, Japanses prisons are way worse than here

[Hugin]

8. This is why the world can't have anything nice.

Perhaps the new Trumpiban Embassy will get him clemency.

Some say the going rate will be $1 M or the DJT crypto equivalent. Whichever is more.

[Emile]

9. In the Navy they taught us we were representing the United States

overseas and we are expected to be on our best behavior. Apparently this guy never got that message.

[gab13by13]

28. Our company told us

when we went out of the country we were representing our company.

I was working in Santiago Chile during the Iraq war and the Chileans were extremely opposed to that war.

I made sure I told everyone that I did not vote for Bush.

[oasis]

10. "Here's what I think of your precious culture"

Read Hayes’ thought bubble as he defiled the artifact.
Enjoy prison Trumpbot.

[AltairIV]

11. No prison sentence.....

...amputate his hand and deport him.

[Swede]

13. Japanese justice is brutal.

He is so fucked.

[obamanut2012]

25. Yup, they don't even have what rights we do here

And, there jails and prisons are baaaad.

[MineralMan]

17. Some people should never travel.

That guy, probably a Trump supporter, is one such person. I have seen people's names scratched into just about anything wherever I've traveled. "I" was here, is all they really say. The whole point of traveling, to me, is to see what "They" are doing and how "They" live. "I" learn from that. There is no need to mark the fact that "I" was there. It's irrelevant.

My grandmother said to me, when I was about five years old, "Fools' names and fools' faces always appear in public places." When I asked her what she meant, she carefully explained it to me, teaching me a nice language lesson along with something to consider as I went along my way.

[yardwork]

20. I had never heard of this until recently.

I just can't imagine.

[MineralMan]

21. Leaving your mark wherever you go seems to be part of human nature.

Odd. Ugly, too.

[Elessar Zappa]

32. I've seen historical sites and items marked by idiots putting their name on it

since I’ve been alive. It’s nothing new.

[Blue_Tires]

18. Christ, what an asshole...

[Blue_Tires]

22. My favorite part is when he naturally assumed

He wouldn't be seen on a bunch of security cameras

[Xavier Breath]

23. Jesus, dude, just do what l do when l visit a new place.

Take the sugar and jelly packets.

[obamanut2012]

24. Japanese jails and prisons are very much not great

And, they don't care if you are American or not.

[ChicagoRonin]

27. Problematic American (and other non-Japanese) tourists are getting out of control

[CanonRay]

29. Usually this kind of thing involves teenagers

This jerk is old enough to know better.

[Beringia]

30. Holey Moley dumber than a bag of rocks

[RobinA]

31. Ironic

considering the behavior I've witnessed by Japanese tourists in the US and Europe.

[jmowreader]

33. If he just used his fingernails they SHOULD be able to just steam that out

Steam swells wood, so a little bit of it will raise the grain enough to get rid of his vandalism.

I think a year or two in a Japanese prison - one of the most vicious prison systems out there - will do this guy a whole lot of good.

[electric_blue68]

35. Nothing like adding another name in the list of "ugly American," tourists. 🙄 Learn respect, jerk!

Luckily some, if not most American tourists know how to behave in other countries.

[City Lights]

36. Putting the "ugly" in "ugly American." nt