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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Culture & Society

Japanese and Chinese apologies fail to calm anger over Five Bear’s temple incident

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Taiwanese entertainer Tsai Yi-chen, known as Five Bear, apologized in Chinese and Japanese after authorities in Japan fined her 500,000 yen over an incident involving Nara’s historic Buddha Footprint Stone.
  • She said she regretted her ignorance, apologized to Yakushi-ji and Japanese society, and promised not to repeat the act.
  • Many online commenters rejected the apology, criticizing her conduct and her references to people’s concern and tolerance.

Five Bear’s apology has done little to cool the anger in Taiwan after she was arrested in Japan for allegedly pouring an oily liquid on the Buddha Footprint Stone at Nara’s Yakushi-ji temple, a national treasure with more than 1,200 years of history.

Tsai Yi-chen, whose real name is Tsai Yi-chen, paid a 500,000-yen fine, about NT$102,000, after Japanese authorities pursued the case as a summary prosecution under cultural property protection law. After her release, she spoke publicly for the first time, issuing an apology in both Chinese and Japanese.

For my own ignorance, I have no excuse.

· Tsai Yi-chenThe entertainer acknowledged her lack of understanding of the cultural property and relevant laws.

Tsai said she had completed the relevant investigative procedures and deeply regretted causing trouble and harm to Yakushi-ji and Japanese society. Regardless of what she had been thinking or what her motives were at the time, she said, she should have learned more about the culture, history and laws of other countries, especially laws protecting culturally important properties. “For my own ignorance, I have no excuse,” she said, and promised, “I will not do it again.”

I will not do it again.

· Tsai Yi-chenTsai promised not to repeat the act in her public apology.

The response online remained overwhelmingly hostile. Commenters said the incident had damaged Taiwan’s image and that a simple apology could not erase what happened to another country’s national treasure. Some criticized Tsai for being a public figure and a mother, saying she should set an example.

Her words thanking people for their tolerance and saying she had made everyone worry also drew criticism. Several commenters said people felt embarrassed and angry rather than worried about her. The discussion continued after the statement was posted.

People are embarrassed, not worried.

· Online commenterThe comment reflected criticism of Tsai’s wording about making people worry.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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