Taiwanese Actress Arrested For Allegedly Staining Japan National Treasure, Says She's Done It Elsewhere Too

When Taiwanese actress Tsai Yi Chen, better known as Wu Xiong, landed at Kansai International Airport on Aug 22, she thought it was the start of a holiday. Instead, she got arrested.  

Japanese police allege that during an earlier trip to Nara in April, the 39-year-old had poured a glycerin-containing liquid directly onto the Buddha Footprint Stone, an artefact that is more than 1,000 years old at Yakushiji Temple in Nara.

The liquid reportedly left stains on the ancient stone.

She was arrested on suspicion of violating Japan's Act on Protection of Cultural Properties.

The ancient stone is designated a National Treasure of Japan, while Yakushiji Temple is among the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.

Japanese police had reviewed surveillance footage and other evidence before identifying a Taiwanese woman as a suspect.

Perhaps the most unexpected development in the case came during police questioning.

According to Japanese media reports, Yi Chen told investigators that she pours oil on things that move her as a form of prayer and believed she had done the same to the Buddha Footprint Stone.

Yi Chen also reportedly admitted that this wasn't the first time she's done this. 

"I've poured oil at other places before for the purpose of praying," she was quoted as telling investigators.

Japanese police are now reportedly looking into whether she may have carried out similar acts at other locations.

Yi Chen's manager has since told Taiwanese media that they have not been able to contact her directly following her arrest and are working with her family and a Japanese lawyer to clarify the situation.

Photos: StarETToday, Zaobao, yakushiji.or.jp