Toilets were traditionally used by monks as part of their ascetic training.
Tokyo:
A Japanese man working to preserve cultural heritage accidentally dropped his car into the country’s oldest toilet at a centuries-old Buddhist temple, partially destroying it, police said on Tuesday.
Tofukuji Temple in the western Kyoto region has a toilet that dates back to the 15th century, making it an important cultural asset.
A 30-year-old man from the Kyoto Heritage Preservation Association accidentally overturned his car, but the original wooden door leading to the site was “ruined”, police told AFP.
After parked in front of the toilet, the man hit the gas to restart the car, without realizing it was still upside down, police said.
“We have been told that it will take a lot of work to restore it,” said a Kyoto police officer.
Inside walls also suffered minor damage, but the actual toilet – two rows of pits – remained intact, Norihiko Murata, the Kyoto official in charge of cultural heritage protection, told AFP.
The toilet was traditionally used by monks as part of their ascetic training, although it is no longer in use.
“It is certainly disappointing that part of this important cultural asset has been damaged like this,” Murata said.
“We will discuss how to restore it in a way that retains as much of its cultural value as possible.”
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
click for more trending news