AnyTV News The 14th century Buddhist statue was stolen from the temple of Japan, know what happened now

Image Source: AP
Buddhist statue stolen from Japan temple

Tokyo: The 14th century Buddhist statue stolen from a temple in Japan was returned on Monday. There was a legal battle between Japan and South Korea over the statue’s ownership for years, making sensitive relations between the two neighboring countries and stressed. When a truck reached the Kannonji temple in Western Island Tushima in Japan, several members of the temple and local residents welcome applause. It is likely that the idol will be placed in the local museum after a ritual in the temple.

The statue is 50 centimeters high

The bronze statue of the Bodhisattva is depicted in the sitting posture and is about 50 centimeters in height. It has been declared a cultural heritage of the region and was one of the two statues stolen from Kannonji in 2012. A statue was returned to the Japanese temple by the South Korean government when the officials recovered the statue from the thieves. The thieves were arrested in the case and were prosecuted against them.

Image Source: AP

Buddhist statue stolen from Japan temple

Legal dispute started over statue

The legal dispute over the statue of Bodhisattva began when the South Korean Temple Buseoxa, located in the western coastal city of Seon, filed a case and claimed its ownership. The Supreme Court of South Korea ruled in 2023 in favor of the Japanese temple and ordered the South Korean temple to return the statue. Japan and South Korea have been in a long-standing dispute over Japanese atrocities during the 1910–1945 in the Korean Peninsula, although their relations have improved due to shared concern over regional security. (AP)