A Canadian teenager has been questioned in Japan after he carved his name into a wooden pillar at an 8th-century temple.

Police said the incident took place in the Toshodaiji Kondo temple last week, which is in the city of Nara.

Speaking to CNN, officers said: “On the pillars to the side, the boy carved ‘Julian’ on a wooden pillar about 170cm above the ground with his nail.”

The 17-year-old has been questioned on suspicion of violating the cultural properties protection law in Japan.

The monument’s Golden Temple is also designated as a national treasure.

According to The Mainichi, a newspaper in Japan, a letter “J” was found 4cm long and 5cm wide – and the name “Julian” was 2.5cm long and 10cm wide on the pillar.

A Japanese tourist reportedly saw the new inscriptions being made and initially intervened, before alerting staff at the temple.

Man’s headless body discovered in Japan hotel room

Four injured after explosion at building in Shimbashi area of Tokyo

Final Fukushima inspections begin ahead of the release of wastewater from plant

The boy reportedly said he had no intention of harming Japanese culture.

He will not be detained, but an investigation will continue.

A Buddhist temple, Toshodaiji Kondo was constructed in the 8th century and was designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1998.

It is part of eight monuments in the city known as the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.

It comes after a similar story in Rome last month where a tourist carved his name into the wall of the Colosseum using a key.

He was filmed carrying out the vandalism and was made to write an apology to the city’s prosecutor.

Related posts:

Ireland’s health service shuts down IT systems over ‘significant ransomware attack’ ‘German Greta’ says UN climate talks were ‘hopeless’ ‘Do what is morally right’: WHO sets target of vaccinating 70% of world by mid-2022 As Le Pen closes in on Macron, here’s everything you need to know about the French election Macron calls Polish PM ‘far-right anti-Semite’ after criticism of his Putin calls Pakistan PM Imran Khan ousted after losing no confidence vote Putin rails against Western ‘dictatorship’ as he declares four Ukrainian regions as Russian ‘Bondi Beast’ serial rapist identified by police almost 40 years after first attack Christian Eriksen makes return in major tournament 17 months after cardiac arrest on pitch Deadly fire at New Zealand hostel is being treated as suspicious World’s most famous human ancestor ‘could walk just like us’ Subway condemned over ‘distasteful’ Titan sub tragedy sign