Society

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

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

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Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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