Statue thief claims he is just 'serious Buddhist'

Kyoto police on March 2 arrested a 59-year-old man for stealing Buddha statues from a temple in the city. They found 21 statues and 22 traditional Buddhism wall pictures at his house. Itsuo Abe told police he stole those items because he is a “serious Buddhist.”

“Abe’s wife works hard from morning to midnight at a factory that was founded by his parents,” says a neighbor. “I’ve never known him to support her. He just occupies his time on such hobbies as traveling and collecting antiques. He had a stroke a while back, and after that, he started collecting more items.”

Abe was quoted by police as saying, “I am a serious Buddhist and pray at home everyday.”
The chief priests of the temples in Kyoto where Abe stole the statues and other items, however, do not believe Abe’s motives.

One priest says, “Police told me that he put almost all the statues he has stolen above eye level. If he is really a serious Buddhist, he wouldn’t have done that. That is being rude toward Buddha. No devout Buddhist would do it.” He adds, “Also, I don’t understand how a serious Buddhist can pray to different deities.”

Police have returned the stolen Buddha statues and items to the temples in Kyoto. However, similar theft cases have been repeatedly reported in Kyoto since last year. Police have notified antique shops in the city, suspecting there is a black market for religious artifacts.

However, one antique shop owner says, “Looking at the items Abe stole, he first took cheaper stuff but gradually chose more valuable things. I think he learned to value the items properly. My guess is that he has a collection mania. I don’t think he planned to sell them.”

While Abe was devoting himself to his statue collection, his family was still working hard at a factory. One source close to them says, “On the day of his arrest, his wife and son were at home, closing the curtains. They said, ‘We can’t talk now. We have a deadline at the factory to meet.”