NARA, Japan - A Taiwanese woman in the entertainment industry has been arrested by Japanese police for alleged vandalization of a treasured stone monument at a temple in western Japan in April.
According to local police, Tsai Yi-chen, 39, is suspected to have poured a liquid on a stone engraved with lines representing Shakyamuni Buddha's footprint at Yakushiji Temple in Nara on April 6.
Tsai, arrested on Saturday, was quoted as telling the police, "Since I pour oil on things that move me when praying, I think I poured oil on the Buddha's footprint stone."
Glycerin -- used as a sweetener and in cosmetics -- was detected in the liquid, the police said.
At the time of the incident, Tsai was visiting the temple, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, as a tourist. The police identified the suspect through security camera footage and arrested her at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture when she reentered Japan.
The stone monument is designated as a national treasure.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Tsai's manager apologized Monday for "the public concern and inconvenience caused by this incident."
The matter is currently under investigation by the relevant authorities in Japan in accordance with the law, the manager said, adding, "At this stage, we are still unable to make direct contact with her."
"Once the situation has been further clarified, and provided that doing so does not affect the relevant proceedings, we will provide further information to everyone in a unified statement when appropriate," the statement said.
