A popular wooden statue of Binzuru Sonja, one of Buddha’s disciples, at a temple in Nagano Prefecture was returned Thursday after it was stolen the day before.
On Wednesday, police arrested Shintaro Morimoto, a 34-year-old man from Mifune, Kumamoto Prefecture, for allegedly stealing the holy Binzuru statue, which has been awarded a three-star Michelin Guide recommendation, from Zenkoji Temple in the city of Nagano. He was sent to prosecutors on Thursday.
Morimoto reportedly confessed to the crime, saying “if Binzuru-sama is present, earthquakes and events will occur.” The Binzuru statue is said to be able to cure illness or injury if a person touches parts of the statue corresponding to their own ailment.
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