Crime Copper thieves target shrine roofs

[thomas]

Drainage grates and copper cables at solar panel stations are common targets of theft. This time, Ōyamazumi Shrine (大山祇神社), a remote shrine in the mountains near Ashikaga, Tochigi , lost its copper roofing panels.

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In Tochigi Prefecture, a shrine located deep in the mountains suffered extensive damage after copper roofing panels were stolen, with photographs showing that nearly half of the roof plates on one side had been removed, while the shrine reported to police that additional panels appeared to have been taken overnight, leaving the damage far worse by the following morning. The shrine is normally unattended except when local residents visit to pray, and officials said they were shocked that thieves would go so far as to enter a remote area and strip copper from the roof. Traces believed to have been left by the perpetrators were later found near the site, with shrine officials noting that the objects were not present the previous day and may have been left behind by the thieves. Similar incidents have been reported nationwide. In Ebino, Miyazaki Prefecture, 12 copper plates bearing the names of bridges were stolen last month, causing damage estimated at 480,000 yen. In Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, a tourist site known for its plum blossoms suffered the theft of about 38 kilograms of copper roofing from a rest area in November last year, with the city now considering how to repair the damage amid concerns that the site could be targeted again.

Copper Thieves Target Mountain Shrine in Japan

Copper prices, which have been climbing partly due to the weaker yen, are now behind a growing wave of thefts across Japan, with criminals targeting everything from agricultural facilities to the roofs of remote mountain shrines.

newsonjapan.com

Ōyamazumi Shrine (大山祇神社)

Taitō Kagura (太々神楽) is designated as an Intangible Cultural Property of Ashikaga City. Its associated shrine history dates back to the mid-12th century. In Ten'yō 2 (1145), when a comet was said to have appeared in the eastern sky, the 76th emperor Konoe (近衛天皇) is recorded as having travelled to two shrines at Otokoyama (男山) and Kamo (賀茂) in Yamashiro Province (山城国, present-day south-eastern Kyōto Prefecture) to conduct rites out of concern for national calamities. The bettō (別当), or shrine administrators, of the two sites were regarded as deeply devout, offering continual prayers for the country's protection.

During the Kyūan era (久安年間), roughly 850 years ago, a shrine connected to this lineage was established on the summit of Mount Daibō (大坊山) in what was then Ōnumata village (大沼田村). The principal deity (主祭神 saishin) enshrined was Ōyamatsumi no Mikoto (大山祇命), invoked for national safety and abundant harvests (五穀豊穣 gokoku hōjō). In 1907, the site was designated a shrine entitled to official offerings (神饌幣帛料供進社 shinsen heihaku-ryō kyōshinsha).

The main hall (社殿 shaden) was completed in 1935 by several thousand residents of all ages. That structure was later destroyed by lightning in 1965. Reconstruction followed in 1969, when cypress trees from Mount Daibō were felled, transported, and milled by community effort, and a new hall, together with its approach path (参道 sandō), was built halfway up the mountain using donated funds (浄財 jōzai).

The origins of kagura dance offerings (神楽奉納 kagura hōnō) at Ōyamazumi Shrine (大山祇神社) appear to extend back to the late Edo period . Votive picture ema (絵馬) from the Bunsei era (文政年間, 1818–1830), along with documents preserved by the Iizuka family (飯塚家), who once served as shrine stewards, indicate that ritual performances were already established by the Tenpō years (天保年間, 1830–1844).

Today, the spring and autumn festivals (春祭り haru matsuri / 秋祭り aki matsuri) are accompanied by a hiking event known as the Ke no Daibōyama Hiking Tournament (毛野大坊山ハイキング大会), linking the ceremonial calendar with local outdoor activity.

Source: 大山祇神社（おおやまづみじんじゃ） « 栃木県神社庁

 

[Petaris]

This has been a big problem in the US, especially just after the 2008 recession when a lot of properties were foreclosed and vacant. Copper shingles aren't as prominent in the US but electrical cable and plumbing pipe were stolen out of vacant houses and other buildings constantly. It is sad that this seems to have spread to Japan as well.

 

[johnnyG]

I've read about the theft of the wire off of telephone poles (rural US).

AT&T offering reward as copper wire thefts get worse in Missouri

AT&T says Missouri is the third-worst state for copper wire thefts, with $500,000 in losses and risks to 911 dispatch and internet services.

www.kmbc.com

Some similar news reports from Canada, too.

 

[mdchachi]

Yes very common in the U.S. The thieves cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to steal hundreds of dollars worth of copper. I'm a little surprised Japan has this problem.

 

[thomas]

Yesterday, Asahi had a piece on the issue, featuring a small shrine in Atsugi, Kanagawa, that has already been burgled three times. The copper plates were now replaced with galvalume, which is less likely to be stolen. Sadly, this is a nationwide phenomenon.

Nakajinja Inarisha shrine stands in an idyllic countryside area of Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture. The three colors of its roof plates create a mottled pattern. That is because copper plates were stolen three times, leaving no choice but to use galvalume plates to repair the damage. "We really wanted to repair the damage with the same copper panels. Shrine parishioners of my parents' generation worked hard to build the Inarisha shrine, so we want to pass down their feelings," said a man in his 50s who is a member of "koju," an association of disciples comprising local residents. "But we had no choice but to change the material after being targeted so many times." The shrine had its roof plates stolen in February 2024. More than half of the copper plates were taken away by thieves. Volunteers shouldered about 800,000 yen ($5,000) to repair the damage, in addition to taking out insurance that also covered theft although the premiums were costly. About one year later, the shrine was targeted by thieves a second time.

Shrines being preyed upon as easy target for copper thieves | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[Ukigumo]

We have lead thieves here who steal it from church roofs. It's disgraceful!

 

[nice gaijin]

My aunt's house was lost to a huge fire in the Berkeley hills back when I was a kid, and when they rebuilt they had a really nice copper handrail on the long stairs leading up to the house, it lasted a few years before someone came and stole it.

 

[Ukigumo]

It does appear to be a valuable metal

• Copper (Bright Wire): ~£5,600–£7,000 per tonne
• Brass (Mixed/Taps): ~£3,000–£3,200 per tonne
• Aluminium (Clean Sheet): ~£950–£1,100 per tonne
• Lead (Scrap): ~£1,000 per tonne
• Stainless steel (18/8): ~£500 per tonne
• Steel/Iron (Light): ~£140–£180 per tonne\
• Gold ~ £119,130,322 per ton

 

[nice gaijin]

yeah copper has always been targeted as it is a relatively valuable common metal, which is why wiring often gets stolen.

I was visiting a gold mine museum in Taiwan in December and they had a 220kg bar of gold (nearly the size of a cinder block) in a big plexiglass box with holes in the sides so you could reach in and touch it. Although there was a staff member guarding the bar there didn't seem much concern about theft as it would be a real challenge to physically remove... but the temptation was there in the form of a digital ticker showing the value of the bar based on the current price of gold, and it came out to a little over 30 million USD (closer to 40 million now).

 

[thomas]

Desperate times, it seems.

Copper roofing panels have been stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including one designated as a city cultural property, in what appears to be part of a wider rise in copper thefts targeting temples and shrines across Japan.

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The crimes have increased as metal prices continue to climb, leaving historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair bills that can run into millions of yen. In Hamana Ward in Hamamatsu City, copper roofing was stripped from shrine buildings at at least four locations. Investigators believe the thefts may be connected. At Hatsuoi Shrine, chief priest Hideo Suzuki said large sections of the roof had been removed from the main shrine building.

Police said similar thefts have also been confirmed at at least two other shrines within Hamana Ward, and investigators are treating the cases as possible serial thefts. Copper thefts targeting shrines and temples have become an increasing problem across Japan in recent years, driven largely by soaring global metal prices and the ease with which stolen copper can be sold through scrap channels. Religious sites have become particularly vulnerable because many traditional shrine and temple buildings use copper sheets for roofs, decorative fittings, rain gutters, and ornamental features. In many cases, these structures are old, lightly monitored at night, and located in rural or mountainous areas where thieves can operate unnoticed for hours.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that...

newsonjapan.com

 

[Ukigumo]

Capital punishment for these people

It seems people are even stripping the tiny amounts of gold and silver from old katana