Japan police search for suspects in spray-painting of graffiti at controversial war shrine

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese police are searching for the suspects who spray-painted the word “toilet” on a Tokyo shrine that commemorates the country’s war dead. The act apparently was a protest against the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Videos posted on Chinese social media show a man criticizing the wastewater discharge and spraying the English word on the shrine. Japanese media say Tokyo police are investigating two suspects, the person who appeared in the video and another who shot it. They say police believe the perpetrator left Japan. Police decline to confirm the reports. The graffiti was discovered Saturday and appeared to have been cleaned by Monday.