**American Tourist Arrested in Japan for Vandalizing Meiji Shrine**

A 65-year-old tourist from the United States, Steve Lee Hayes, has been detained by Japanese authorities for allegedly defacing a significant cultural site in Tokyo. Hayes was apprehended on Wednesday, as reported by The Japan Times, on charges of property damage after he was found to have "carved the alphabet with his fingernails" into a wooden pillar of the historic Meiji shrine gate.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police officials revealed that the incident occurred around 11 a.m. on Tuesday in Shibuya Ward. Hayes confessed that he inscribed family members' names onto the shrine’s pillar, an act he admitted to during initial police questioning. It is uncertain whether his family was present at the time he committed the act.

Law enforcement managed to apprehend Hayes at his hotel in Tokyo, utilizing surveillance footage to identify and locate him. Hayes is now facing potential consequences that include up to three years in prison or a fine reaching 300,000 yen, approximately $1,900, according to CNN.

This unfortunate episode has surfaced against a backdrop of surging tourism in Japan, which has seen an influx of over 24 million visitors from January to August in 2024, as per the Japan National Tourism Organization. The damaging of the Meiji shrine, a site of immense cultural and historical value, underscores the importance of respecting cultural heritage, especially amid rising international tourism.