A Shinto shrine in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, has reported that copper roofing material is missing from its premises.
The chief priest at Kabasaki Hachimangu Shrine notified the police on Monday morning that about 200 copper sheets had been removed from the roof of the main hall, which is designated by the city as a cultural asset.
Another roughly 70 sheets were missing from the wall that surrounds the main hall.
Police say the copper sheets measure about 14 by 56 centimeters each. The damage totals about 4 million yen, or about 25,500 dollars.
The copper sheets are believed to have been stolen between around 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, when a shrine official inspected the premises, and Monday morning.
Chief priest Sagehashi Teruyuki said it's outrageous that someone would put their feet on the roof of a shrine and rip off the copper sheets.
He also said he will consider security measures, such as installing surveillance cameras.