Two Japanese tourists in their 20s have been detained for two weeks and subsequently deported from China after taking a controversial photograph at the Great Wall, local media reported. The incident, which took place at the World Heritage site near Beijing, involved a man exposing his buttocks, while the woman photographed the act. The incident sparked widespread outrage both in China and internationally.
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According to reports, Tokyo’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the tourists were arrested by local authorities on January 3. The Japanese nationals were later released and returned to Japan within the same month. The Japanese embassy in Beijing, however, did not respond to any requests for further comment. Security guards at the site reportedly detained the individuals on the spot before they were held for two weeks.
Exposing one’s lower body in public places is prohibited under Chinese law, and the tourists reportedly told the Japanese embassy that they had committed the act as a prank. The incident has caused significant uproar in China, where the legacy of Japan’s colonial occupation of the country in the 1930s and 40s still evokes strong emotions.
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The controversy quickly gained traction on social media, with a hashtag translating to “Japanese man and woman detained for indecent behaviour at the Great Wall” being viewed more than 60 million times on Weibo. Many of the top comments condemned the tourists’ actions, with some even suggesting that all Japanese visitors be banned from entering China.
