Australian tourist accused of spraying graffiti in Kyoto

May 23, 2019 | News On Japan

May 23, 2019 (tokyoreporter.com) - Kyoto Prefectural Police have arrested a 23-year-old male Australian national who is suspected of scrawling graffiti in dozens of locations in Kyoto City, reports Fuji News Network (May 22).

At around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a passerby tipped off police about "a foreigner scrawling graffiti" in the riverbed of the Kamogawa River in the Higashiyama area.

Officers arriving at the scene found a 2-meter-tall wall at the edge of the riverbed had been vandalized with the black text "GHOST" and a sketch of a face that includes two eyes and a mouth.

Police later located the suspect nearby and arrested him on suspicion of causing property damage. "Art is my intention," the suspect was quoted by the Higashiyama Police Station.

According to police, the suspect arrived in Japan as a tourist on May 10. Since Sunday, police have confirmed the same text in at least 36 locations - including on vending machines, walls and public signs - in the immediate area, which includes the Gion red-light district.

Source: FNNnewsCH

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