Our Times actress Tsai Yi-chen arrested in Japan for allegedly pouring oil on temple monument

The Taiwanese actress allegedly vandalised a temple monument in Japan in April this year and was arrested in August after re-entering the country.

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26 Aug 2026 03:21PM

Taiwanese actress Tsai Yi-chen, who appeared in the hit 2015 film Our Times, was arrested on Saturday (Aug 22) at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan, for allegedly vandalising a temple monument during a previous trip to the country.

On Apr 6, Tsai, 39, had allegedly poured oil on a stone monument at Yakushiji Temple in Nara City, leaving dark marks on it. Yakushiji Temple is one of the eight component sites that make up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to Japanese news outlets, Tsai admitted to the act, telling police that she prays by "pouring oil on things that move [her]". She allegedly also told authorities that she had previously carried out similar acts at other locations in Japan.

On Aug 24, two days after her arrest, Tsai's manager provided an update on her Facebook page, apologising for the incident and revealing that the team was still unable to contact the actress directly.

"The incident is currently being investigated by the relevant authorities in Japan in accordance with the law. At this stage, we are still unable to contact her directly, and we are learning about the current situation with the assistance of her family and a local lawyer in Japan," wrote Tsai's manager.

"Out of respect for the investigative process, and to avoid causing further misunderstandings through unverified information, we will not comment further on the incident at this stage. We also sincerely ask all parties to give the investigation the necessary time and space."

Tsai previously made the news in 2023 after revealing that she fell victim to a scam targeting tourists visiting Singapore.

According to Tsai, while trying to figure out the visa requirements to enter Singapore, she came across a website that claimed to be an official site for travellers looking to holiday in Singapore.

The site charged US$70 (S$93) for an arrival card to enter Singapore – a document that is actually free to apply for.

"They made it so similar to the real thing, and it’s my first time visiting Singapore, I only know now that you actually don’t need to pay a cent for a Singapore entry visa," wrote Tsai in an Instagram Story at the time.