Lochie Jones was branded a graverobber after he angered locals by uploading a clip in which he was seen swigging from a can which had been placed on a headstone in Japan
An Australian tourist has sparked outrage after he filmed himself chugging a beer that had been left on a grave as an offering to the dead. Lochie Jones was branded a graverobber after he angered locals by uploading a clip in which he was seen swigging from the can, which had been placed on a headstone in Japan.
The YouTuber shared a video on Instagram during a visit to Aokigahara Forest, a notorious hotspot for people taking their own life, near Mount Fuji. In the clip, he finds a canned cocktail by a grave and flips a coin to decide whether to drink it.
Canned or bottled drinks, flowers and incense are often placed on graves in Japan in tribute to loved ones. Taking something placed at a grave is considered deeply offensive.
In the clip, he is heard saying: “So it looks like there’s a cemetery here with a whole bunch of dead people. Look at this guy. A whole can of Kirin. Should I drink it? What do we reckon?”
He then bizarrely rants: “‘By the way, suicide in Japan is a serious f***ing issue. The mental health here has to be some of the worst and I can absolutely understand why. The Japanese women are absolutely vicious and cold. The men still have their honour but it’s been weaponised against them. They’ve been tricked into not having any feelings and it results in one of the highest suicide rates in the world.
Appearing to raise the beer to the gravestone, he said: “Happy blessings and rest in peace,” before adding: “I won’t leave him empty-handed, I’ve got some f***ing Marlborough.”
Jones appeared to partially crush the can against the headstone before placing down two cigarettes, adding: “One for me, one for you.”
Leaving drinks and food on graves as offerings to the deceased spirits is a tradition in Japan and the video sparked fury online. One social media user branded him a grave robber and raged: “Don’t ever come to Japan again.”
Another said: “What you did is not just bad manners, it’s deeply disrespectful to both the culture and the family’s grief.” A third added: “These live streamers need to be punished as harshly as possible.
“The guy stole from a grave and showed zero remorse. If Japan doesn’t clamp down on this it will only empower these types of people.”
Local police are investigating the incident and the Australian embassy issued a statement that said it was working with the Japanese authorities to ensure travellers to the country “respect and observe local laws and rules”.
Last week, self-proclaimed ‘unorthodox’ YouTuber Jones published a two-part ‘apology’ video on his Instagram in which he said: “Look, if you felt I desecrated your dead, I am sorry.
“It was a mistake. I’m coming clean. I shouldn’t have portrayed that. The reality we are walking through is going through a period of mass psychosis, and it took crazy to get noticed.”
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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