Rising copper prices in Japan are fuelling a surge in thefts targeting Shinto shrines, with metal roof plates being stolen and resold. Even remote sites are hit repeatedly, forcing some shrines to replace traditional copper with cheaper materials. One shrine in Kanagawa was targeted three times, leaving its roof patch-worked with different materials.
According to the National Police Agency, reported metal theft incidents have skyrocketed from 5,478 in 2020 to 20,701 in 2024 – nearly a fourfold increase. In October 2024, thieves stole around 1,630 copper roof plates from Nagusa Itsukushimajinja shrine in Ashikaga city, within the protected grounds of a designated natural monument.
“We are calling on shrines across the country to be vigilant,” a representative of Jinja Honcho, an association of Shinto shrines, told The Asahi Shimbun. “It is an act that tramples on the hearts of people who worship and care for deities.” The association noted that copper plates are lightweight and develop a distinctive patina, but shrines must get approval before altering buildings. The representative added: “It very much goes against our principles to change traditional shrine architecture due to theft, but we will have no choice but to allow the use of other materials to repair the roof.”
The thefts are part of a broader rise in metal-related crime across Japan, fuelled by high copper prices and demand for scrap. In December 2024, police arrested a 31-year-old man in Ibaraki who allegedly confessed to 248 copper-wire thefts from solar farms. Authorities said he was part of a group that targeted remote renewable-energy sites at night, sold stolen metal to scrap dealers, and used proceeds for living expenses and drugs.
Last year, Japan’s cabinet approved a bill to crack down on copper and metal theft by tightening rules on scrap dealers. If passed, buyers of copper scrap would need government registration, verify sellers’ identities, keep transaction records, and report suspicious sales. In 2024, solar power sites saw 7,054 cable theft cases, making up 34.7% of all metal theft incidents. The impact has spread beyond energy sites: in July 2024, about 170m of copper cable were stolen from a poultry farm in Gunma, knocking out air-conditioning and leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of chickens.
