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Foreign tourist, companion arrested for having sex on Japan shrine grounds in broad daylight

81 Comments
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24

Much has been written, and many hands wrung, over the opaque, obtuse, and obfuscating etiquette of the Japanese culture. In reality, though, for foreign tourists traveling in Japan, common sense will get you pretty far. Say please and thank you. If you’re stopping somewhere to check a map or dig through your bag, move to the side of the walkway so other people can get by. Refrain from humping in broad daylight at religious sites.

But apparently that last local manners point was a bit too hard for a 61-year-old Austrian tourist to adhere to, and was a social norm a Japanese female acquaintance of his was willing to break as well. At 11:35 in the morning on August 23, the police in the town of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, received a call reporting that two people were having sex on the grounds of a shrine. Though the shrine isn’t in a heavily populated area, the witness reported that the pair was engaged in the act in an open, easily seen location.

It’s worth noting that, especially outside of big cities, it can sometimes be kind of hard to determine the exact boundaries of a shrine’s grounds. With Shinto’s roots in the deification of nature, shrines are often located in forests or on mountainsides, and smaller or older shrines often consist of little more than a free-standing torii gate and a shed-sized structure containing a small altar, with no surrounding fences or walls to designate where the shrine’s territory starts and stops. So, theoretically, you could have a scenario in which two consenting adults, with either a sense of urgency or adventure, decided to get it on in the woods without knowing they were within a shrine’s boundaries.

That doesn’t appear to have been the case in the Kesennuma incident, however, as the witness says the Austrian man was leaning against the shrine building while engaged in the act.

This seems like a good time to remind everyone that, conceptually, Japan is well aware of the fact that sometimes people have a sudden need for a place to have sex, and in fact there’s an entire industry for it, with “love hotels” that rent out rooms at reasonable hourly rates. A quick Google search turns up at least two in Kesennuma.

The pair now face charges of disrespecting a place of worship, with the woman, a Kesennuma resident in her 40s, already admitting guilt. The man, on the other hand, has said that he would not make a statement until he had a lawyer present, and being deemed a flight risk, has been placed under arrest and taken into custody.

Sources: Miya Tele, Yahoo! Japan News/Sendai Housou, FNN Prime Online, TBS News Dig

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- TripAdvisor Japan announces the country’s 10 favorite shrines and temples

-- Feel what it’s like to be a Shinto shrine maiden with shrine’s experience package for foreigners

-- Yaoi fans rejoice as Shinto shrine seems to open part-time positions for male shrine maidens

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

81 Comments
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Imagine being such a miserable, goody-goody two-shoes git, that when seeing this you decide to call the police and tell on them like a little school kid.

Yeah, what a prude. Or maybe one of the envious married-too-long or a can't-find-a-girl loser.

Imagine going to your local shrine to pray for family who died in 2011 and you’re greeted with wrinkly 61 year old balls…I’d call the cops too!

27 ( +35 / -8 )

I'm guessing he's not from around there and didn' know the laws about this.

Unless Austria is freakier than I think it is, I am pretty sure sex in public is illegal there too.

23 ( +31 / -8 )

The comments on this one will be fun to watch

Moderator: This message is to inform you that your comment is featured in the latest "Japan This Week" podcast.

13 ( +16 / -3 )

@Moonraker

“What is more natural than sex? It's the essence of complex life and its perpetuation”

Are you in the habit of having sex in shrine compounds to commune with Shinto deities?

13 ( +22 / -9 )

Police are investigating the motive, according to the last line of the Yahoo news article (in Japanese).

(◔_◔)

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/5095a7eb3665bcb57475ded93426fa855f473b3a

12 ( +14 / -2 )

The pair now face charges of disrespecting a place of worship, with the woman, a Kesennuma resident in her 40s, already admitting guilt. The man, on the other hand, has said that he would not make a statement until he had a lawyer present, and being deemed a flight risk, has been placed under arrest and taken into custody.

I have been to Kesennuma as a volunteer in the wake of the 2011 disaster. There are still stark ruins giving testimony to the power of the tsunami there. I recommend it.

There are combination volunteering/sightseeing tours there and I wonder if the man was a member of such a tour.

It would add an interesting layer to the incident.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

Chico3Today  04:44 pm JST

Though, I don't condone this, wise decision on his part, since I'm guessing he's not from around there and didn' know the laws about this.

I bet he did, the woman would have told him.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Some years ago, Spa! magazine ran an article about couples in Japan who have sex in public, such as in children's playgrounds and on late-night commuter trains. Apparently it's not as rare as one might think. Since it's a victimless crime, anything more severe than a fine (and apology to the shrine) would be unwarranted.

Moderator: This message is to inform you that your comment is featured in the latest "Japan This Week" podcast.

10 ( +15 / -5 )

Some dude

I dunno. It's still probably preferable to hiding nearby and spying on them.

Your “other option” is hiding nearby and spying on them!?

Why not just walk away?

9 ( +9 / -0 )

What kind of sex act?

The key may be in this sentence: "the witness says the Austrian man was leaning against the shrine building while engaged in the act."

7 ( +9 / -2 )

"The most amazing thing is that he found a Japanese woman in her 40's who actually wants to have sex."

-CaptDingleheimer

(a man in his 40's married to a Japanese woman in her 40's)

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Young people these days, eh. I hope their parents give them a good talking to and teach them some manners.

6 ( +13 / -7 )

David Brent

Today 05:34 pm JST

Imagine being such a miserable, goody-goody two-shoes git, that when seeing this you decide to call the police and tell on them like a little school kid.

As much as the article is tabloid trash.

Trying to attack people over a common sense issue of reporting people having sex in public is bizarre.

But the

little school kid.

Part should have made you think.

It is school summer holiday season and shrines are places families go to visit during this time and children could easily be present.

6 ( +17 / -11 )

I think it's "interesting" that the man was immediately identified as being 61, whereas the woman was much later claimed to be "in her 40's".

I just find that interesting.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Get a room!

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Next time try a love hotel with a shrine theme.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Bet he's from Wien.

Yep. A real wiener.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I've done it at night at a temple. I didn't know it was illegal!

You did not know this type of thing in public is illegal? Pretty sure it is in most nations.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The pair now face charges of disrespecting a place of worship, with the woman, a Kesennuma resident in her 40s, already admitting guilt.

Her admission will be used as evidence against him. Looks like he's getting screwed twice.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Did police wait until they had finished?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Cheaper than the one-mile-high.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Imagine being such a miserable, goody-goody two-shoes git, that when seeing this you decide to **call the police and tell on them like a little school kid.**

I dunno. It's still probably preferable to hiding nearby and spying on them.

2 ( +12 / -10 )

Takes 2 to tango

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I am all in favor of our door sex, but, there is a time and place, a temple in day light is not the right time or the right place. I am sure if you went to most countries in the world having sex at a church, temple or shrine will get you a lot of unwanted attention! Wether or not your religious, just be considerate and thoughtful of the local people.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Engaging in sex in a public place is illegal under public indeceny laws in both Austria and Japan and carry penalties.

This is high school level stupidity. At their ages you'd think they'd know better.

And no one took a video? lol

lol

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The pair now face charges of disrespecting a place of worship, with the woman, a Kesennuma resident in her 40s, already admitting guilt. The man, on the other hand, has said that he would not make a statement until he had a lawyer present,

Though, I don't condone this, wise decision on his part, since I'm guessing he's not from around there and didn' know the laws about this.

1 ( +17 / -16 )

the Austrian man was leaning against the shrine building while engaged in the act.

oh, I know this position.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

What the article doesn't mention is if they were under the influence of something, it is understandable but a very bad choice of a place to go for it.

O r may be they wanted their first intimacy to be Blessed, LOL.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

placed under arrest and taken into custody.

Effectively a custodial sentence for this?

Good grief.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Sex at a local shrine!? Where do we sign up for this tour??

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Not Kanamara-sama? Are they certain?

In the USA and Canada they would probably be charged under a sex offence and if found guilty be put on a sex offenders list.

Very true. Those lists never get names removed. Megan's Law is the common name used. https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-charges/community-notification-laws-megan-s-law.html

1 ( +3 / -2 )

miss_oikawa

Today 09:53 am JST

If found guilty in the USA, they would both be life time members of the sex offenders registry.

> That's absolutely moronic. Sums up the USA

OK, then add Canada, UK, even Australia, etc..have similar laws and registries.

In all these places having sex in public is a crime, but if any minors are present within a certain distance and or even could have seen the act, then the possibility of the offence being raised to a sex offence ans landing the person on a sex offenders list in all these countries.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

OssanAmerica

Today 10:10 am JST

Engaging in sex in a public place is illegal under public indeceny laws in both Austria and Japan and carry penalties

Yes and in Australia if that act is done within view or within possible view or were minors are present even if the minors didn't see anything.

Then they run the possibility that the charges are elevated to sex offenders level.

A shrine in the middle of the day has a high possiblity of children being nearby, so lucky they got caught in Japan and not Australia.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

David Brent Imagine imagining something like you did.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Did police wait until they had finished?

They wanted to, but somebody called it in so they had to stop filming.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Just admit to it and pay the fine. The reason this is news is because he want to make it bigger than it is.

Lot’s of people have sex in public in Japan. They’re just unlucky they got reported.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Ah, c'mon. Kids could have come across this. Would you want your kid exposed to this? Shrine or not, sex in public is not a good thing. There is sex in public, yes, but usually after dark and where people are unlikely to see it. Is there a country that would condone this? Which ones? Let us know. The US? South Korea? The Uganda? Which are the countries. I don't know of one. Educate me. I must be missing something.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

The Japanese woman may have been the one to have initiated it. A friend of mine said his Japanese girlfriend was turned on by having it out at temples and shrines, which they did a few times at her insistence.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Sure caught banged to rights..

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It is absurd to punish a couple making love, not war.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Taking PDA to the next level. Lol.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Her hello, when are you going back to your country ?

Tourist, Tomorrow am.

Her, Oh that's fast, hum got few minutes ?

Tourist, sure what's on your mind?

Her, I just want to give you something before you go back.

Tourist, me? Sure thank you. What is it ?

Her, Not her though.

Tourist, Oh where?

Her, Hummmm, behind these trees.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Police are investigating the motive, according to the last line of the Yahoo news article (in Japanese).

(◔_◔)

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/5095a7eb3665bcb57475ded93426fa855f473b3a

I read the article on ynews and notice they mentioned that the Austrian guy was jobless. But on here he is mentioned as a tourist. What's that all about?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is a pre-law issue. The problem is that to engage in such behavior in a religious institution, in any country, in any religion, is a strong lack of respect for the other person or religions.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

At least they should have selected a suitable shrine for that stunt, like the Kanamara shrine in Kawasaki.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

60s and 40s? They’re ancient. And should know better

0 ( +0 / -0 )

David Brent

Yes. You should at least wait until you finish watching them till they’re done. And then call the police.

-1 ( +10 / -11 )

I'm just wondering what the circumstances were that led to the encounter. Even may have been spontaneous? You know, as a tourist, get lost, see a shrine, happen to meet a girl there. Nobody around. Lust at first sight, etc etc.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

@MeiyouwentiToday

@Moonraker

“What is more natural than sex? It's the essence of complex life and its perpetuation”

Are you in the habit of having sex in shrine compounds to commune with Shinto deities?

It would make for a very metaphysical orgy.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

owzerToday  08:42 pm JST

Sex at a local shrine!? Where do we sign up for this tour??

Funniest comment I've seen in a while.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

A Japanese woman was having sex in broad daylight. Her companion has refused to comment.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

he want to make it bigger than it is

Sounds like his companion helped him with that.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Their punishment of being put on sex offender list for having sex in public,you be charged with disorderly conduct

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Japanese woman was well behaving and quiet, as one should in this blessed place ;)

Given the evidence for the article on the Austrian man's position against the shrine it could be inferred that the Japanese lady was in a kneeling, reverent position.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

All those going on about the arrest, the " no big deal" how people are over reacting, etc...

He and she are lucky this is Japan.

In the USA and Canada they would probably be charged under a sex offence and if found guilty be put on a sex offenders list.

Think about that!

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

It seems that those who have a problem with the two consenting adults engaging in an unlawful act at the shrine has more of a hard on than the guy himself and is getting more enjoyment from reading about it than the women who was from Kesennuma.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Hope they got a goshuin too to commemorate the occasion

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

As someone else wrote - this was not a Christian church, but a Shinto shrine. I know nothing about religions, but doesn't Shinto always worship the natural? I know a lot of shrines that worship the sex, the genitals and the act of conception. Japan itself was created by the Shinto gods this way. So I don't understand the problem here ;) .

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Making religion fun again.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I'm guessing the shrine inspired the two love birds with fox carvings with a suggestive shape.

-3 ( +9 / -12 )

We all want to know the sex position that hurt the eyes of the person who reported to police.

So which one using the shrine building for suppport ?

I am surprised there is no report about the man being too noisy while doing his business while the Japanese woman was well behaving and quiet, as one should in this blessed place ;)

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

If found guilty in the USA, they would both be life time members of the sex offenders registry.

That's absolutely moronic. Sums up the USA.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Bet he's from Wien.

-4 ( +10 / -14 )

I've done it at night at a temple. I didn't know it was illegal!

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

People have sex. If they didn't cause any damage, should be a misdemeanor.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Behave yourself on your hols/abroad or you will get deported. Once that is stamped in your passport, nobody else will let you in.

In the war on tourism/foreigners, these are 'sinking of the Lusitania' moments. Until someone points out that a large percentage of the stuff in the Japanese section of adult websites features Japanese people getting it on with other Japanese people in public areas - parks, trains, streets, often in daylight, plus all the fake sharking videos.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Chico3Aug. 27  04:44 pm JST

The pair now face charges of disrespecting a place of worship, with the woman, a Kesennuma resident in her 40s, already admitting guilt. The man, on the other hand, has said that he would not make a statement until he had a lawyer present,

Though, I don't condone this, wise decision on his part, since I'm guessing he's not from around there and didn' know the laws about t

Common sense will tell you, *do what you're going to do*** but don't do it here! **

AlongfortherideAug. 27  04:45 pm JST

The comments on this one will be fun to watch

Anybody enjoying this pseudo-'Starr Report' yet?

Hervé L'EisaAug. 27  09:18 pm JST

I think it's "interesting" that the man was immediately identified as being 61, whereas the woman was much later claimed to be "in her 40's".

I just find that interesting.

Prostitution transcends all boundaries.

dagonAug. 27  07:51 pm JST

Japanese woman was well behaving and quiet, as one should in this blessed place ;)

Given the evidence for the article on the Austrian man's position against the shrine it could be inferred that the Japanese lady was in a kneeling, reverent position.

I think it's pretty obvious what kind of sex they were doing. The editor was just trying to be 'nice' in writing this story. And it should never be done out in the open, and certainly never in a religious place. Desecration!

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

TaiwanIsNotChina

Today 02:02 am JST

People have sex. If they didn't cause any damage, should be a misdemeanor.

Yet in your beloved USA, it would be categorised as a sex offence, which would be far more serious than what they are facing in Japan.

If found guilty in the USA, they would both be life time members of the sex offenders registry.

I like how so many here just brush aside the fact that most western countries they (those commenting) come from, this would be a very serious offence.

People have been put on the sex offenders lists in western countries for having sex in public restrooms inside stalls out of view of the general public, think about that for a minute.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

This is high school level stupidity. At their ages you'd think they'd know better.

Oh dear! Some people live such staid lives. But think of the children, blah, blah. We need to live a little dangerously sometimes. And what better place than a shrine to animism.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Easier to just admit guilt in this. Otherwise he is looking at 23 days confinement for each charge. 23 Days, let go, re-arrest, 23 days, let go, re-arrest, 23 days, let go, re-arrest...then wait for court. I am sure in this case he will pay a fine and be let go.

-5 ( +15 / -20 )

Are you in the habit of having sex in shrine compounds to commune with Shinto deities?

All the time. Contributing to the life-force and fertility that Shinto supposedly venerates. I mean, they abandoned death to the Buddhists. Actually, Shinto, before its co-option by authoritarians in the Meiji period and distortion into Emperor-worshipping state Shinto, was very much about fertility. There used to be thousands of fertility shrines and phalluses everywhere. You can still see a few in Asuka in Nara prefecture.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

I am surprised there is no report about the man being too noisy while doing his business while the Japanese woman was well behaving and quiet, as one should in this blessed place ;)

We know he wasn't noisy, if he had been, we know that the article would have made that another point to point out the bad foreign tourist, it is a hallmark of foreign Sora writers that seem to hate other foreigners.

Remember folks it is the bad foreigner, ignore the Japanese woman part like the author is trying to do.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Not surprised by this being Sora news.

As expected trash sensationless tabloid type article.

The whole:

Much has been written, and many hands wrung, over the opaque, obtuse, and obfuscating etiquette of the Japanese culture. In reality, though, for foreign tourists traveling in Japan, common sense will get you pretty far.

And basically 90% of the rest

All to make the foreign the focus and not the Japanese woman.

Because if the writer had focused on the Japanese partner then the above quote and most of rest wouldn't have any meaning.

Even the tittle is a tabloid tittle designed to make a big deal out of the "tourist/foreigner" part.

Notice:

Foreign tourist, companion arrested

Avoiding using "Japanese"

How about another tittle, "Japanese woman and her friend arrested for having sex at a shrine"

No that wouldn't be click bait enough, would it?

Sora is on a roll with a load of negative articles about tourists and foreigners and the "authors" are all foreigners, and I can guess exactly what type they are.

-6 ( +30 / -36 )

Jail for both and deport for that clown..

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Strangerland

Aug. 27 11:32 pm JST

I've done it at night at a temple. I didn't know it was illegal

Really? Ok try it in your country and do it where you are seen.

Let us know how that goes!

Oh wait, does your country have access to the internet in prison?

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Amd you wonder why there is a declining population

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

Foreign tourist, companion arrested for having sex on Japan shrine grounds in broad

Yes, well that last part is not uncommon.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

This is disrespectful to Japan and no one want to see a 61-year-old European limper and a self-hating Asian past their sexual primes engaged in sexual acts - I hope they treat him accordingly behind bars

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

With Shinto’s roots in the deification of nature

What is more natural than sex? It's the essence of complex life and its perpetuation.

-9 ( +20 / -29 )

Chico3

Yeah, good point. He’s not from around here. So why should he think there’s anything odd about having sex in public at a shrine? We must respect culture differences in this age of diversity.

-9 ( +7 / -16 )

Imagine being such a miserable, goody-goody two-shoes git, that when seeing this you decide to call the police and tell on them like a little school kid.

Moderator: This message is to inform you that your comment is featured in the latest "Japan This Week" podcast.

-16 ( +28 / -44 )

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