Taiwanese actress Tsai Yi-chen issues apology following vandalism incident in Japan

Taiwanese actress Tsai Yi-chen issues apology following vandalism incident in Japan In a statement on her social media pages on Thursday (Sep 3), Tsai Yi-chen said that she should "have been more thoughtful". Taiwanese actress Tsai Yi-chen, 39, has issued an apology over a vandalism incident in Japan in April this year, in which she reportedly poured oil on a stone monument at Yakushiji Temple in Nara City. Yakushiji Temple is one of the eight component sites that make up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On Thursday (Sep 3), Tsai posted her apology, written in both Chinese and Japanese, on her social media pages. She revealed that following investigations in Japan, she was released on the evening of Sep 2. "Because of my own ignorance and actions, I offended Yakushiji Temple in Japan and caused trouble and harm to Japanese society. I would like to sincerely express my deepest apologies to everyone across Japan and everyone at Yakushiji Temple who was affected," wrote Tsai. She added that while she was being investigated, she came to "deeply understand that regardless of what thoughts or motivations [she] may have had at the time, [she] should have been more thoughtful and taken greater care to understand the cultures, histories and laws of different countries". At the time of her arrest in August, as reported by Japanese media, Tsai had told the police that she prayed by pouring oil on things that moved her. "I have no excuses for my ignorance and foolishness," wrote Tsai. Tsai Yi-chen appeared in the hit 2015 film Our Times and has starred in the Taiwanese drama Summer & Summer, alongside actor Joseph Cheng. She previously made the news in 2023 after revealing that she fell victim to a scam targeting tourists visiting Singapore.