Overview
- Ubuginu Shrine in Hamamatsu reported missing copper roofing Tuesday after a nearby resident spotted the damage around 5:20 a.m.
- Hamamatsu City confirmed the loss from the shrine’s storage building and shared before-and-after photos that show roughly 4 square meters removed.
- Staff later found about 9 square meters missing from the main hall roof at the same shrine, which points to a large, targeted removal.
- Multiple nearby shrines in the Mikkabi area also lost roof copper in recent incidents, with reports differing between three and four affected sites that sit within a roughly 20-minute drive of each other.
- Hoseo Police opened a theft investigation and are also considering building intrusion, and officials note the shrine office was unmanned overnight as copper prices rise and metal thefts spread nationwide; the Oridono weaving hall dates to 1801 and was designated with its storage in 1969, underscoring the cultural loss risk.