Chinese Tourist Causes Outrage by Placing 'Hell Money' in Tokyo Temple Donation Box
A Chinese man has caused a significant stir after inserting joss paper, commonly referred to as "hell money," into a fortune-drawing donation box at Japan’s Sensoji Temple. This act has led to widespread outrage and renewed discussions about the behavior of tourists, particularly those from China. The incident was captured in a video that gained traction on social media in November. According to the South China Morning Post, the man placed the joss paper into the box located on the desk where visitors draw fortune sticks. Normally, visitors are expected to insert 100 yen (approximately US$1) into the box to draw from a collection of 100 bamboo sticks. After drawing, they must search for omikuji, a strip of paper that provides a fortune prediction when praying to the gods and Buddhas of the temple or shrine, as explained by the Japan National Tourism Organization. The act of inserting joss paper instead of money sparked strong reactions from netizens, who labeled it as ...