At Kibitsu Shrine in Okayama City, which is related to the legend of Momotarou, it was found that scratches on the pillars of the worship hall of the national treasure were found as if they had been scraped with a hard object.
In January, scratches were found on the Yagura, an important cultural property of the country, at Okayama Castle, and police are investigating the relationship.
According to Kibitsu Shrine in Kita-ku, Okayama City, a wooden bench in the precincts was found to be damaged on January 22, and the following day, when examined, it was found to be a pillar of a national treasure worship hall built during the Muromachi period. I found a scratch that looked like it had been scraped with a hard object.
No damage has been confirmed to the main shrine, which is also designated as a national treasure, but scratches have been found on the pillars of the corridor of the prefecture's important cultural properties, and the damage to the precincts has reached at least nine places.
Kibitsu Shrine is dedicated to Kibitsuhiko-no-Mikoto, a model of Momotaro, and has historical events such as the "Yatate Shinto ritual," which shoots arrows in the sky and wishes for a disease-free life, and many worshipers visit every year.
Kensuke Uenishi, a priest of Kibitsu Shrine, said, "It's a precious cultural property that must be passed on to the next generation, so it's very sad to be hurt."
Police are investigating on suspicion of violating the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, and this month, Okayama Castle is also investigating the relationship because scratches were found on the Yagura, an important cultural property of the country.