Serial Oil-Spraying Incidents at Shrines and Temples Revisited After Arrest

The culprit behind the serial oil attacks on shrines and temples from 11 years ago

In this follow-up series revisiting crime stories previously covered by FRIDAY Digital up through April 2026, we look at what happened afterward in the case of a U.S.-based man arrested in March for allegedly pouring an oil-like substance on important cultural properties in Chiba Prefecture. The following partially quotes an article published on March 12 (text in 《》 is from the original article; although Kanayama was referred to as a suspect at the time, this has been changed to defendant).

---

Around the spring of 2015, a series of incidents occurred across Japan in which oil-like liquids were poured on pillars and buildings at shrines, temples, and cultural properties. Eleven years later, in March 2026, Chiba Prefectural Police arrested a U.S.-based man. The outline of the case, as previously reported by FRIDAY Digital, was as follows:

《“Arrested on March 4 was Masahide Kanayama (63 at the time), an unemployed man residing in the United States. The direct charge relates to an incident in March 2015 at Katori Shrine in Chiba Prefecture, where an oil-like substance was poured on more than a dozen locations, including the nationally designated Important Tangible Cultural Property known as the ‘Sakuramon Gate,’ resulting in suspicion of property damage. At the time, similar incidents had occurred at 48 locations across 16 prefectures, including Naritasan Shinshoji Temple (Narita City, Chiba), Nijo Castle (Kyoto City), and Todaiji Temple (Nara City), and police continued investigating with the possibility of a single perpetrator in mind.

Later, based on security camera footage and other evidence, Chiba Prefectural Police identified Kanayama as the perpetrator in the Katori Shrine incident and obtained an arrest warrant. However, because he had traveled to the United States after the incident, authorities requested his extradition from local officials there. During that period, Kanayama continued practicing medicine in the U.S. and lived an ordinary daily life. He was finally handed over to Japanese police under the Japan-U.S. extradition treaty,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs desk.》

At the time, Kanayama reportedly admitted to the allegations, saying, “I have no objection. There is no mistake.”

Kanayama, originally from Tokyo and residing in the United States, is an obstetrician-gynecologist. He operated an endometriosis clinic in New York and was said to have had a very strong reputation locally as a physician.

At the same time, following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, he established the Christian-affiliated religious organization “IMM (International Marketplace Ministry)” in Japan in May 2013. The incidents appear to have been carried out as a practice of Kanayama’s teachings, but voices within the Christian community also reportedly criticized the acts, saying that using the name of Christianity to damage the sacred sites of other religions goes against the essence of faith.

No sense of guilt could be felt

Then, 20 days after his initial arrest, on March 24, Chiba Prefectural Police rearrested Kanayama on suspicion of property damage once again.

“The new arrest concerns allegations that on March 25, 2015, he poured liquid on structures at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, causing damage. Kanayama reportedly stated, ‘I applied oil to shrines and temples as guided by the Holy Spirit.’ He is also said to have admitted involvement in incidents at places including Kashima Shrine in Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture. He explained that ‘the liquid was olive oil purchased online,’” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs desk.

On April 14, Chiba prosecutors indicted Masahide Kanayama (63) on charges of property damage. According to the indictment, on the evening of March 25, 2015, he allegedly scattered an oil-like liquid on areas including the worship hall of Katori Shrine and pillars of the Somon Gate at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. In the past, Kanayama reportedly made statements to followers of the religious group he founded that appeared to hint at his involvement in the incidents:

“You must not worship at shrines. They are not pure places. Shrines are nests of evil spirits. I poured oil there and purified them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

No sense of guilt can be felt from these remarks whatsoever. Attention is now focused on whether he will continue advancing his claims during trial proceedings, and how the judiciary will judge those claims.

As of May 1, no trial date had been set.