In March 2025, two 19-year-old men from Sagamihara City were sent to family court for vandalizing buildings in Niigata City’s Chuo Ward. The two, one unemployed and one a vocational student, were also re-arrested on suspicion of violating the Cultural Property Protection Law by defacing Bandai Bridge, a nationally designated important cultural property. The Niigata National Highway Office plans to charge them approximately 4 million yen to cover the cost of removing the graffiti.
The men were initially arrested on March 23 for graffiti on the exterior of a building in Furumachi, involving two large areas marked with paint. They were in Niigata for driving lessons, and while the vocational student admitted to the charges, the unemployed man initially denied involvement but later confessed.
A subsequent police investigation revealed their involvement in graffiti on Bandai Bridge, leading to their re-arrest. The unemployed man faced charges under the Cultural Property Protection Law, while the student was not prosecuted due to insufficient evidence.
The highway office managed the removal of graffiti from four spots on the bridge, which required a two-day operation involving traffic restrictions and scaffolding. The cleanup cost amounted to about 4 million yen, which the highway office intends to recover from the two men.
Police continue to investigate additional graffiti cases reported in Niigata’s Furumachi area, examining potential links to the two suspects. The consequences of their actions include arrest and hefty reparations, underscoring the severe repercussions of such vandalism.
by MagazineKey4532