It’s commonly understood that you should always be respectful wherever you go, especially when visiting a foreign country.
However, that was not the case with a group of Malaysian tourists in Japan, who were heavily criticised after being caught vandalising a bamboo stalk at one of Kyoto’s famous tourist attractions.
As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, the act was caught on camera and even broadcast on a Japanese TV programme.
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In the broadcast, one of the tourists can be seen scratching the letter ‘M’ onto a bamboo stalk at the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto.
When confronted by a reporter, the group of female tourists claimed they didn’t know they were not supposed to do so.
The chairman of the Arashiyama Shopping Street Association, Ishikawa Keisuke, expressed regret over the incident and pleaded for such offences to stop immediately.
“It’s sad that the graffiti ruins the beautiful scenery. It is also sad that we have to spend money to fix it. We really want them to stop,” he said.
Image Credit: Asahi.com
A recent report by Tokyo Weekender revealed that vandalism has long been a problem at the bamboo forest. A recent inspection showed that at least 350 stalks of bamboo have been damaged.
Officials have warned that carvings, though they may seem harmless to many, actually cause lasting harm to the plants. The carvings remain visible throughout the plant’s life, causing the bamboo stalk to rot or collapse.
Needless to say, the group’s actions drew backlash from both Japanese and Malaysians. Many have since called for the group to be punished and for heavy fines to be imposed to deter others from repeating the same offence.
Image Credit: Threads
Image Credit: Threads
Featured Image Credit: Threads
AloJapan.com