Australian tourist sparks outrage after filming himself disrespecting grave in Japanese cemetery
The Australian Embassy in Japan has issued a warning to its citizens, urging them to behave appropriately and respect local customs while visiting the country.
This statement comes in the wake of widespread public outrage over a viral video in which an Australian tourist filmed himself drinking an alcoholic drink that had been left as an offering at a Japanese grave close to Aokigahara Forest, commonly known as Japan’s “Suicide Forest.”
The video, which was posted to Instagram last month by a user named Lochie Jones, was filmed in a cemetery in Yamanashi Prefecture.
In Japanese tradition, food and drink are often left at gravesites as sacred gifts to honor the spirits of deceased ancestors, and consuming them is considered deeply disrespectful.
In the clip, which can be watched further down the article, Jones is seen approaching a headstone with a can of beer on it.
While searching for a coin to flip, he says:
“By the way, suicide in Japan is a serious f****** 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.”
After the coin flip, he opens and drinks from the can, saying, “Happy blessings and rest in peace,” before burping loudly.
He then leaves a pack of cigarettes on the grave, adding, “I won’t leave him empty handed, I’ve got some f****** Malborough.”
The footage quickly provoked widespread anger online, with one user commenting:
“Imagine going to another country to disrespect people’s graves and steal the offerings left for loved ones. Very depraved behaviour.”
Another explained:
“In Japan, the offerings you see on a grave aren’t decorations or props, especially not for content…What you did is not just bad manners, it’s deeply disrespectful.”
In response to the backlash, the Yamanashi police have reportedly launched a formal inquiry into the incident.
The Australian Embassy in Japan released a formal statement on the matter yesterday.
The full statement read:
“The Australian Embassy, Japan, works closely with Japanese authorities to ensure that travellers from Australia respect and observe local laws and rules. We encourage appropriate behaviour when visiting Japan. We take these matters seriously acting in cooperation with relevant authorities.”
Jones later posted a two-part video in which he offered a brief apology, stating:
“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.”
However, the apology was widely criticized as insincere, as it was immediately followed by a bizarre rant about what he called Japan’s “large scale hive mind that would be subject to the whims of a predatory reptilian system that views you as little more than sheep or cattle for experimentation or slaughter.”
He also added:
“Gambling and smoking is vilified, but your culture and the normalisation of paedophilia is inviting demonic forces into the mainstream.”
As of the time of writing, despite widespread negative comments, Jones has neither removed his original video nor his “apology”, which are still available on his Instagram account, which is currently available for public viewing.
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