A 39-year-old Taiwanese woman, identified as actress Cai Yizhen, was arrested on August 22, 2026, at Kansai International Airport for allegedly pouring an unknown liquid on the Buddha's Footprint Stone at Yakushiji Temple in Nara in April 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The woman’s identity matches Cai Yizhen, also known as Wuxiong, who turned 39 on August 23, 2026, drawing widespread attention after the arrest was reported [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. She is suspected of violating Japan's Cultural Properties Protection Law by damaging the 1,273-year-old national treasure, the Buddha’s Footprint Stone, which is the country’s oldest known Buddha footprint carving, designated a national treasure [5].
Surveillance and chemical analysis showed the liquid poured contained glycerol, a common cosmetic ingredient, suggesting the substance was an oil-based liquid [5]. The incident reportedly took place on April 6, 2026. The woman left Japan for Taiwan the next day and returned months later when she was arrested [5].
Japanese media quoted the suspect as saying, "I poured oil as a prayer ritual on things that moved me emotionally, including the Buddha's Footprint Stone" [1]. Online commentators speculated her motive was linked to her religious beliefs. Cai Yizhen is reported to be a member of the New Life Church, a charismatic Christian group known for anointing with oil as a spiritual practice. Some netizens wrote that in Christianity, anointing with olive oil is a prayer ritual and that extremists in such groups might see idol carvings as unclean and want to cleanse them with oil [1].
Cai Yizhen’s sister, actress Cai Hancen, expressed surprise and said she only learned about the allegations through news reports and is still trying to understand the situation. "My sister Hanzen only found out from the news and is currently trying to grasp what happened," her manager said [8].
Cai Yizhen’s management confirmed they are cooperating with Japanese authorities but cannot comment further at this time. They said direct contact with Cai is not possible and that updates are being handled via family and legal representatives [6, 7].
The actress’s social media faced backlash after the incident became public, with some users criticizing or mocking her, resulting in negative effects on her endorsement deals [9].
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the case under Japan’s cultural property protection laws. No further details on charges or trial dates have been announced.
