A buddha statue that was stolen from a Japanese temple is finally on its way home

A buddha statue that was stolen from Kannonji Temple on Tsushima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture in 2012 and later found in South Korea is now on its way home. Busuksa Temple in South Korea had claimed ownership and filed a lawsuit but Korean court ruled that Kannonji Temple is the owner of the Kanzeon Bodhisattva statue which is designated as a Nagasaki Prefecture’s cultural asset.

On Saturday, a service was held at Busuksa Temple where the statue had been temporarily lent to. The service was attended by followers who came to bid farewell to the statue as well as people from Kannonji Temple. 

After the service, the statue was loaded on a truck for its journey back to Tsushima. It is expected to return to Kannonji Temple for the first time in 13 years on Monday. It will be stored at a museum in Tsushima, after a service is held for local residents.