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Graffiti Artist Targets Fukuyama’s Famous Rose Park

Hiroshima, Aug 20 (News On Japan) - Vandals have attacked Midorimachi Park in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture -- where around 5,000 roses bloom each year -- with graffiti resembling the letters 'Rizz.'

On Monday afternoon, August 18th, a staff member visiting the rose garden for work discovered the damage. Out of 24 panels that describe the community’s efforts in cultivating the city’s identity as a “rose town,” six had been defaced with paint.

The park, which symbolizes Fukuyama’s civic pride with its roses designated as the city flower, was left damaged and staff expressed strong anger. A city official condemned the act as "an unforgivable insult to Rose Town Fukuyama" and stated that authorities would "take a firm response." The city plans to file a damage report with the police.

The defaced panels had only been installed last year, making the incident especially disheartening. Similar markings were also found on the reverse sides of some panels, suggesting repeated or deliberate defacement.

The city emphasized that it would move forward with both restoration and legal measures to protect the integrity of its symbolic park.

Source: FNN

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