The Australian embassy in Japan issued a warning to travellers to behave themselves after an Instagrammer drank offerings from a Japanese burial site, provoking widespread anger online.
In the most recent example of fame-seeking foreigners riling locals, Lochie Jones – reportedly an Australian tourist – posted a clip of himself swigging from a can placed on a headstone as an offering.
Moments earlier, he’s seen flipping a coin to decide whether to open the beverage, likely left as a gift for ancestors in a gesture common in Japan.
He’s then seen burping in front of the grave.
The video – which was posted last month – prompted angry comments online.
“Graveyards are sacred places in any country ... I want (the government) to make sure he can never enter Japan (again),” one X user said.
On Tuesday, the Australian embassy warned on Facebook that travellers must ensure “appropriate behaviour” while visiting Japan, without explicitly referring to the video.
The embassy said on Facebook that it “works closely with Japanese authorities to ensure that travellers from Australia respect and observe local laws and rules”.
Jones apologised over the incident in an Instagram video on Tuesday. — AFP
