but he might have carved those initials in some other places prior to this location.

That's like tagging the Vatican. What an asshole.

But with his fingernails? Who can carve wood with their fingernails?

LOL at that!

$6500 is hardly a consequence for this guy.

I vote for both.

if he gets one.

He'll be treated with way too much dignity in a Japanese prison, even for gaijin.

He doesn't speak Japanese. As ALL communication inside is in Japanese..
Turns out, you are allowed to watch T.V., read and speak Japanese, only. Even to fellow inmates.
Immersion language training. Lol.
It doesn't sound like a country club prison.
I imagine he only speaks very loud English when in a foreign country.
Poor guy.
Expect a go fund me and stories of how he is a great guy.
No sympathy from me.

Perhaps the new Trumpiban Embassy will get him clemency.

Some say the going rate will be $1 M or the DJT crypto equivalent. Whichever is more.

overseas and we are expected to be on our best behavior. Apparently this guy never got that message.

when we went out of the country we were representing our company.

I was working in Santiago Chile during the Iraq war and the Chileans were extremely opposed to that war.

I made sure I told everyone that I did not vote for Bush.

Read Hayes’ thought bubble as he defiled the artifact.
Enjoy prison Trumpbot.

...amputate his hand and deport him.

He is so fucked.

And, there jails and prisons are baaaad.

That guy, probably a Trump supporter, is one such person. I have seen people's names scratched into just about anything wherever I've traveled. "I" was here, is all they really say. The whole point of traveling, to me, is to see what "They" are doing and how "They" live. "I" learn from that. There is no need to mark the fact that "I" was there. It's irrelevant.

My grandmother said to me, when I was about five years old, "Fools' names and fools' faces always appear in public places." When I asked her what she meant, she carefully explained it to me, teaching me a nice language lesson along with something to consider as I went along my way.

I just can't imagine.

Odd. Ugly, too.

since I’ve been alive. It’s nothing new.

He wouldn't be seen on a bunch of security cameras

Take the sugar and jelly packets.

And, they don't care if you are American or not.

This jerk is old enough to know better.

considering the behavior I've witnessed by Japanese tourists in the US and Europe.

Steam swells wood, so a little bit of it will raise the grain enough to get rid of his vandalism.

I think a year or two in a Japanese prison - one of the most vicious prison systems out there - will do this guy a whole lot of good.

Luckily some, if not most American tourists know how to behave in other countries.