**American Tourist Arrested for Alleged Vandalism at Tokyo Shrine**

A 65-year-old American tourist has found himself in legal trouble in Japan after being accused of damaging a torii gate at a well-known shrine in Tokyo. Steve Lee Hayes was taken into custody on Wednesday under suspicion of property damage, according to a spokesperson from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police speaking with CNN.

Authorities allege that Hayes used his fingernails to carve letters into the pillar of a gate at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine, located in the Shibuya Ward, on Tuesday. Public broadcaster NHK reported that the suspect purportedly etched five letters, which are believed to represent his family name, into the historic gate.

The police managed to identify the suspect by analyzing security camera footage and are currently investigating the incident further. Hayes was in Japan visiting with his family when the alleged crime took place. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison or be fined up to 300,000 yen ($1,918).

This incident marks the latest in a series of problematic encounters involving tourists as Japan navigates a surge in visitor numbers. For instance, earlier this year, a town near Mount Fuji captured international attention after erecting a black barrier to obstruct views of the mountain, aiming to manage the influx of tourists who were leaving behind trash and flouting traffic rules.

Additionally, in recent months, a 61-year-old Austrian man was arrested for engaging in sexual activity on the grounds of a shrine in Kesennuma, a coastal town approximately 500 kilometers north of Tokyo. In another instance, a 17-year-old Canadian faced questioning for allegedly carving a name into a wooden pillar at a UNESCO-listed temple in Nara, Japan.