A man has been arrested after threatening to set fire to one of Japan’s oldest Shinto shrines, following backlash over an AI-generated anime girl.
According to the Kyoto Shimbun, a 38-year-old man from Shiga Prefecture was taken into custody on July 3 after sending dozens of threatening emails to Kurumazaki Shrine, a historic site in Kyoto founded in 1189. The suspect reportedly admitted to the threats, including messages like: “Your damn shrine will burn to the ground in an unexplained fire one of these days.”
The threats stemmed from a controversy that began in March, when the shrine updated its X (formerly Twitter) profile picture to an AI-generated illustration of an anime shrine maiden. The image quickly went viral and drew criticism from users concerned about the use of generative AI in cultural and religious contexts.
Man arrested for threatening to burn down shrine
Kurumazaki Shrine eventually deleted the post the same day and later shut down its X account. Officials even apologized for using the image, explaining that the artwork was intended to make the shrine feel more relatable to younger visitors.
The shrine is known for its deep ties to the performing arts and frequently attracts entertainers and fans. While no physical damage occurred, the incident has sparked renewed concern over digital harassment and threats against historic sites, especially in the wake of the 2019 Kyoto Animation arson attack.
As noted by Japan Forward, local police found the man had no personal link to the shrine and was purely motivated by anger toward the shrine’s endorsement of AI-generated art.
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