Taiwanese Actress Tsai Yi Chen Arrested in Japan for Vandalizing Historic Temple Stone

Arrest at Kansai International Airport

According to Japanese media reports cited by Kompas.com, temple staff discovered mysterious stains on the Bussokuseki, also known as the Buddha’s Footprint Stone, during an inspection. Security footage subsequently led authorities to identify Tsai as the individual responsible for the liquid application.

Although Tsai had already departed Japan following the April incident, Japanese law enforcement detained her on Aug. 22 upon her return to the country through Kansai International Airport in Osaka. Kompas.com reported that the actress admitted to the act during police questioning.

“Because I poured oil on the things that touched my heart when praying, I thought I poured oil on the Buddha’s footprint stone,” Tsai stated during the police investigation, as reported by Kompas.com. Investigators also noted that she allegedly claimed to have performed similar actions at other unspecified locations across Japan.

Damage to a Protected National Treasure

The artifact at the center of the investigation holds profound historical and cultural significance. According to Kompas.com, the Bussokuseki at Yakushiji Temple in Nara is a protected national treasure estimated to be approximately 1,000 years old. Furthermore, Yakushiji Temple serves as one of eight component sites making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, designated collectively as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The liquid containing glycerin left visible stains on the ancient stone, triggering immediate intervention from temple administrators who alerted local police. Because the artifact falls under strict heritage preservation laws, the alleged defacement prompted a swift criminal inquiry by Japanese authorities.

Management Response and Entertainment Background

Following news of the arrest, Tsai’s management team addressed the public through a statement published to the actress’s official Facebook account on Aug. 24, 2026.

The incident is currently being investigated by the Japanese authorities and at this stage, it is not possible to contact her directly, her manager stated, as translated and reported by Kompas.com. This situation is currently being handled by her family members and her lawyer. Because the information currently available is limited, we are unable to provide a detailed explanation or response regarding the incident.

The management team concluded the statement with an apology and a request for patience while legal proceedings unfold.

Tsai launched her professional acting career in 2005. She gained widespread recognition for her television roles, including playing Tsai Wu Xiong in the long-running idol drama series KO One across its 2005, 2012, and 2015 iterations, as well as portraying Xia Ya in the 2007 series Summer x Summer and appearing in the 2015 hit feature film Our Times. On the personal front, she married a non-celebrity partner in 2020 and gave birth to their first child, a son, in October 2025.