A drunk American tourist broke into and damaged a centuries-old Zen temple in Kyoto, reports Tokyo Weekender.
The incident occurred at Shoden Eigen-in, a subtemple of the historic Kenninji monastery, when the intoxicated visitor entered through a kitchen door at 6:20 a.m. on June 24. The tourist damaged a wooden railing and door at the main hall, both of which are designated as Kyoto Prefectural Cultural Heritage sites. As reported in Tokyo Weekender, the man later returned to apologize to the chief priest through a translation app, saying, "This was the biggest mistake of my life. I'm truly sorry." When asked about his motivations, the tourist explained, "I just wanted to see the temple."
The temple holds special significance as part of Kenninji, Kyoto's oldest Zen training monastery, founded in 1202. It has deep connections to Oda Urakusai, the brother of the famous warlord Oda Nobunaga and a student of the tea ceremony master Sen no Rikyu. Unlike many tourist sites, it maintains an atmosphere of quiet dignity without obvious security measures.
Chief Priest Keinin Magami accepted the apology and plans traditional repairs. The temple chose not to file a damage report, though some residents expressed frustration online about the lack of consequences.
Previously:
• 'Gaijin tax'— Japanese restaurants and attractions charging more for foreigners
• Your essential guide to not screwing up in Japan
• American tourist arrested for scratching family names into sacred Japanese shrine as a 'prank'
