NAGASAKI, May 11 (News On Japan) –
A stolen Buddhist statue from Tsushima was returned to Japan on May tenth, marking a major step towards resolving a diplomatic dispute that has strained Japan-South Korea relations for over a decade.
The seated statue of Kannon Bosatsu, designated as a tangible cultural property by Nagasaki Prefecture, had been stolen from Kannonji Temple in Tsushima City and illegally taken to South Korea. It was handed over to Japanese officers at Buseoksa Temple in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, the place it had been stored.
The statue is scheduled to return to Tsushima on May twelfth. Before the handover, a ultimate Buddhist memorial service was held at Buseoksa, attended by Tanaka Setsuko, the previous head priest of Kannonji.
The statue’s return comes 12 and a half years after the theft, which had develop into a logo of stress between the 2 nations. With this improvement, the long-standing dispute is lastly transferring towards decision.
Source: Kyodo