TOKYO, Japan – An American arrested for defacing a sacred Tokyo shrine became the latest example of Japan’s struggle to cope with misbehaving visitors amid a boom in inbound tourism.

Steven Lee Hayes, 65, is accused of carving his family's name into the gate of a famed Tokyo shrine, say police.

TOKYO — An American tourist has been arrested in Japan and accused of carving letters into a pillar of a gate to a shrine in Tokyo. Australian fitness influencer Jaxon Tippet, who built a sizable following with content focused on exercise and personal motivation, reportedly died Sunday while on traveling in Turkey.

Steve Lee Hayes carved letters onto a pillar of a gate of a shrine in Shibuya and was arrested on suspicion of property damage, Tokyo police said.

Tokyo authorities arrested a 65-year-old U.S. tourist for allegedly defacing the grate of a local shrine on Tuesday.

American tourist Steve Hayes was arrested on Wednesday ‘on suspicion of damaging property’ at the Meiji Jingu shrine

An American tourist has been arrested in Japan for allegedly carving letters into a pillar of a gate to a shrine in Tokyo.

An American visiting Japan with his family has been arrested on suspicion of vandalism after allegedly desecrating Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu Shrine. According to Reuters, the 65-year-old (identified as Steve Lee Hayes) clawed five letters representing family names into a pillar of the Torii gates with his fingernails.

An American man is arrested on suspicion of vandalizing Tokyo's Meiji Shrine:: Tokyo, Japan:: November 14, 2024:: File:: Police say the 65-year-old used his fingernail to etch letters into a wooden pillar Japan welcomed nearly 27 million visitors through September,