Canadian teenager arrested after vandalising UNESCO-listed Japanese temple

A 17-year-old Canadian has been questioned by Japanese authorities after reportedly carving his name into the wooden pillar of a UNESCO-listed temple.

The incident took place on July 7 at the centuries-old Toshodaiji Kondo temple complex in the historic city of Nara, CNN reported.

UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

A police official said the teenager carved the name 'Julian' into the pillar 1.7m off the ground with his nail.

The official said a Japanese tourist witnessed the defacing and reported it to staff, who in turn reported it to the police. The teenager was then in for questioning the next day.

The official said: "The boy admitted his act and says it was done not with the intent of harming Japanese culture.

"He is now with his parents, who were with him when the incident occurred."

The Toshodaiji Kondo is a Buddhist temple built in the 8th century and is situated in the historic city of Nara near Osaka and Kyoto. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998.

The temple was utilised as a place of worship when Nara functioned as Japan's capital for most of the 8th century.

The incident comes a week after a British tourist apologised for vandalising the Colosseum.

The tourist was filmed etching his and his girlfriend's name into the 2,000-year-old UNESCO site.

Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano called the act “undignified and a sign of great incivility.”

Around two weeks after the incident, the alleged vandal - Ivan Dimitrov from Bristol - published a letter in an Italian newspaper.

He apologised and claimed he did not know how old the building was.

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