BBC



 

A Chinese man accused of buying spray paint which was used to write the word "toilet" on a controversial Japanese shrine has been arrested, local media reports.

The incident at the Yasukuni shrine - which honours the country's war dead, including some convicted of war crimes - sparked outrage in Japan.

One Tokyo businessman even offered a cash reward in order to catch those behind the stunt, which included urinating on a pillar, and was shared on Chinese social media.

Police arrested the first of three suspects on Tuesday, issuing warrants for two more men.

According to Japanese news agency Kyodo, he is accused of buying the paint used in the video.

The other two men are reported to have left the country the day after they allegedly took part in the stunt - causing damage amounting to 4.2 million yen ($26,000; £20,000).

In the video, the alleged perpetrator, who identified himself as Iron Head, says he is fed up with Japan's decision to release treated waste water, presumably a reference to water released from the earthquake-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant - a decision that outraged many in China.

The shrine has over the years been a source of friction between Japan and its neighbours, China and South Korea.

It is common for Japanese officials to visit the Yasukuni shrine during certain festivals and during the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two.

In 2014, when then prime minister Shinzo Abe visited the shrine, China said the visit reflected "the erroneous attitude towards history adopted by Japan's incumbent cabinet".

South Korea similarly denounced the visit, saying it "romanticised Japanese colonialism and its war of aggression".