Chinese Couple Arrested for Operating Campground at Japan’s National Historic Site

In a recent incident reported by the media, a Chinese couple in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, was arrested on March 20 for allegedly establishing a camping site on the nationally designated special historical site “Onojo Castle Ruins” without permission, which is suspected of property expropriation.

According to reports from media outlets such as RKB Broadcasting, the couple arrested by the Fukuoka Prefectural Police were 41-year-old Liu Xiaoqing and her 42-year-old husband, Li Yong, both Chinese nationals residing in Umi Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.

Japanese authorities stated that between October 2022 and September 2023, these two individuals operated a camping site on the slope of Shioji Mountain in Dazaifu City without the consent of the landowners, thereby being accused of property expropriation.

The land in question includes both public and private properties, with a total of 16 private landowners. The Chinese couple attracted guests to the camping site through online applications and other means.

Any development on land in Dazaifu City requires proper application and approval. RKB Broadcasting previously interviewed the operators of the camping site, who claimed to have obtained “verbal permission from the Dazaifu City Government.” However, the Dazaifu City Government denied this statement, emphasizing that “no permission was ever granted.”

Furthermore, the Dazaifu City Government stated that they had repeatedly advised the couple to dismantle the camping site facilities, including container houses and swings.

The land around “Onojo Castle Ruins” was built as a mountain castle by the Japanese imperial court in the latter half of the 7th century to defend against foreign invasions and has been designated by the Japanese government as a special national historical site.

The Chinese couple violated the Cultural Heritage Protection Law and Urban Planning Law, despite receiving multiple administrative guidance from the Fukuoka Prefectural Government and Dazaifu City. Their persistent refusal to comply led to their arrest by the Fukuoka Prefectural Police.

(Source: Central News Agency)