The Australian embassy in Japan has issued a warning urging travellers to respect local customs after a video surfaced showing an Australian tourist drinking a beer left as an offering at a grave near the Aokigahara forest. The footage, posted on Instagram by Lochie Jones in August, shows him entering a cemetery in Yamanashi prefecture and consuming a can of Kirin beer placed in front of a headstone.
In the video, Jones flips a coin before drinking the beer, stating, 'By the way, suicide in Japan is a serious f****** issue.' He then burps loudly and leaves cigarettes on the grave. In Japanese tradition, food and drink offerings at graves are meant to honour the dead, and consuming them is considered deeply disrespectful.
The video provoked widespread backlash, with many condemning Jones's actions. One commenter wrote, 'Imagine going to another country to disrespect people’s graves and steal the offerings left for loved ones. Very depraved behaviour.' Another added, 'What you did is not just bad manners, it’s deeply disrespectful.'
On Tuesday, the Australian embassy released a statement urging 'appropriate behaviour when visiting Japan' and said it was cooperating with Japanese authorities. Local media reported that police in Yamanashi had launched an inquiry into Jones, verifying the facts of the incident.
In response to the backlash, Jones issued an apology on Instagram, saying, 'Look, if you felt I desecrated your dead, I am sorry. It was a mistake.' However, the apology also included a rant criticising Japanese culture, referring to a 'large-scale hive mind' and making unsubstantiated claims about paedophilia.
