1,630 Copper Roof Plates Stolen From Shrine Visited by Demon Slayer Fans

One hobby that many anime fans have is visiting the locations that appear in their favorite anime — the iconic steps to the Suga Shrine Otokozaka in your name., the locations from anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day in Chichibu City, the areas around Omiya station from Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki, and more.

Unfortunately, one such locale, indirectly linked to Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, has been hit by alleged theft, although the incident may not have to do with its manga and anime ties.

According to a report by TV Asahi News, 1,630 copper roof plates were stolen at the Nagusa Itukushima Shrine in Tochigi Prefecture. The damages are estimated at around 650,000 yen (about US$4,200). TV Asahi News reached out to Hiroyuki Tametani, the director of the Nagusa Community Center which manages the shrine, regarding the theft. Tametani said, “It’s a crime, and it’s a cultural property and shrine beloved by the locals for a long time, so there’s some outrage.”

The shrine grounds are located among the Nagusa megaliths in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture. Among the megaliths is a split rock that resembles the one Demon Slayer protagonist Tanjiro Kamado split in half early in the story. It’s unclear if the Nagusa Itsukushima Shrine actually inspired the scene. However, it — and other split stones all throughout Japan — are popular destinations for fans because of this.

TV Asahi News also noted a man was arrested in Ibaraki Prefecture on suspicion of purchasing stolen metal. The report did not state if the metal he purchased were the 1,630 roof plates, though.

Sources: TV Asahi‘s X/Twitter account and website via Hachima Kikо̄, Ashikaga Tourism’s website