Two Japanese tourists have been deported from China after spending two weeks in detention for indecent behaviour at one of the country’s most iconic landmarks, the Great Wall of China.
The incident took place on 3 January 2025 at the UNESCO World Heritage site near Beijing, where two young Japanese nationals in their 20s were caught by security guards. The young man was seen exposing his bare bottom, while the woman accompanying him took photos. Both were arrested on the spot and detained for two weeks before being deported.
The pair was charged with violating China’s public security law, which prohibits exposing the lower half of the body in a public place. The incident has drawn global attention, provoking reactions not only in China but also in Japan.
Outrage in Japan
The reaction in Japan has been one of outrage and shame, with online comments expressing fury and embarrassment. The young tourists’ behaviour has been widely condemned as tarnishing Japan’s international image, with calls for accountability and punishment circulating online.
One user described it as “a serious crime that not only denigrates the Chinese people but also Japanese people in the eyes of the world” urging that the names of the culprits be reported “so they can atone for their actions and to prevent this type of crime from happening again in the future.”
Concerns over Japan’s moral, educational and social decline have also been raised. A commenter on the Yomiuri Shimbun website asked, “how would Japanese feel if a foreigner did something like this in a Japanese temple?”
Strong reactions in China
In China, the reactions have been very strong, influenced by historical sensitivities including “memories of Japan’s cruelty during its occupation of China”. The act has been condemned by prominent public figures such as famous actor Chen Yitian, who criticized the tourists for doing “shameful things on my Great Wall”.
The hashtag “Japanese man and woman detained for indecent behaviour at the Great Wall” has over 60 million views, on China’s social media platform Weibo, with many of the viewers expressing anger. Some called for a total ban on Japanese tourists while others used hateful language towards Japanese people.
The tourists reportedly claimed it was ‘but’ a prank. The Japanese embassy confirmed that two Japanese tourists were detained at the Great Wall on 3 January and deported later in the month but declined to provide more information “out of concern for individual privacy”.
Tourists misbehaving abroad
There have been several incidents over the years of Japanese tourists misbehaving abroad. In 2003, a Japanese tourist was arrested for carving his name on a fallen moai statue in Chile, and in 2008, three Japanese tourists were caught carving their names on the walls of Florence’s iconic cathedral.
Japan itself has not been spared from disrespectful tourists damaging its cultural heritage. Recent incidents include the arrest of an American who vandalised Tokyo’s historic Meiji Jingu shrine’s gate with graffiti and another tourist caught on camera kicking a deer in Nara.
The latest controversy has sparked much needed discussion about the importance of respecting cultural heritage and adopting an appropriate behaviour when being welcomed as visitors in foreign countries.
