Report:
Three Chinese influencers, including “Iron Head,” received endorsement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs after vandalizing the Yasukuni Shrine in Japan. While “Iron Head” and two other suspects have already escaped back to China, one of their associates will face trial in Japan.
According to reports from Kyodo News, the Chinese nationals are accused of graffitiing the stone pillars at the Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda, Tokyo, damaging property, and showing disrespect to a place of worship. The Tokyo District Court held a public trial on December 19, where the prosecution presented their sentencing recommendations.
The prosecution argued that the defendants significantly damaged the appearance of the stone pillars resembling the shrine’s facades, requesting a one-year prison sentence. However, the defense pleaded for a more lenient judgment. The trial concluded that day, with the sentencing set for December 25.
During the trial, the prosecution highlighted that the defendants purchased spray paint, coordinated with two Chinese males who traveled to the shrine, and played an essential role in the crime. They condemned that the graffiti was not fully removed, causing irreparable damage.
In their defense, the defendants claimed the act was a protest against the discharge of treated water into the sea from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. However, the Japanese prosecution revealed that the defendants had seafood together in Tokyo a day before the crime, indicating inconsistency with their alleged protest motive.
The indictment showed that on May 31, the defendants conspired to spray red paint on the stone pillars with the word “Toilet,” openly displaying disrespectful behavior.
Media reports previously identified the main defendant as Jiang Zhuojun, a 29-year-old Chinese man who is currently unemployed and stated to have arrived in Japan over a decade ago.
On the evening of May 31, Chinese man Dong Guangming (known as Iron Head) urinated on the stone pillar with the inscription “Yasukuni Shrine” at the shrine’s entrance and spray-painted “Toilet” in red. This act was captured on camera by Xu Laiyu, suspected to be the cameraman, and later posted on social media in China.
After committing the act, Dong Guangming and Xu Laiyu returned to China in the early hours of June 1.
On July 9, the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested Jiang Zhuojun, residing in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, on charges of damaging property and desecrating a place of worship for his alleged involvement in the graffiti on Yasukuni Shrine’s stone pillars. Arrest warrants were also issued for the other two Chinese suspects, Dong Guangming (36 years old) and Xu Laiyu (25 years old), who were added to the wanted list.
Regarding the incident of Chinese influencers vandalizing the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, in a press conference on June 3, did not condemn Iron Head’s actions but instead urged the Japanese side to “reflect on their history of aggression.”
This incident has sparked anger among the Japanese public, with some individuals offering a reward of 10 million Japanese yen (approximately $70,000) for apprehending Iron Head.