13-05-2025
Stolen Buddhist artifact returns to Japan after 13 years abroad
The statue of the Kanzeon Bodhisattva resumes its place at Kannonji temple in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, on May 12. (Shinnosuke Ito)
TSUSHIMA, Nagasaki Prefecture—A centuries-old Buddhist statue stolen from a temple here has finally returned home after 13 years, marking a significant moment for the local community.
The statue of the Kanzeon Bodhisattva, a designated tangible cultural property of Nagasaki Prefecture, was stolen from Kannonji temple in 2012 by South Korean burglars.
After a protracted legal battle spanning seven years, South Korean authorities officially handed over the statue, which was returned to the temple on May 12.
About 40 people, including Tsushima Mayor Naoki Hitakatsu, attended a memorial service to celebrate the statue's return.
Among them was Tatsuma Murase, head of the temple's parishioner group. Murase, 70, brought a photograph of his late father, Keizo, the group's leader at the time of the theft.
"I was finally able to tell my father that the statue came back safely," he said. "Seeing it back in place brought me immense relief."
To prevent future theft, the statue will be entrusted to the Tsushima Museum.
It will be on special public display from May 16 to June 15.
The statue was confiscated by the South Korean government after the thieves were arrested in 2013.
Kannonji temple and the Japanese government requested the return of the bronze sculpture.
However, a South Korean temple claimed ownership, arguing that the artifact was looted from Korea by Japanese pirates in medieval times.
After prolonged court proceedings, South Korea's Supreme Court affirmed in 2023 that the Japanese temple is the statue's rightful owner.
While recognizing the historical looting, the court acknowledged that the Japanese temple had possessed the statue long enough to establish legal ownership.
