Chief priest of Tokyo shrine allegedly took ¥250 million from amulet gross sales

The chief priest of a Tokyo shrine allegedly misappropriated ¥250 million from amulet gross sales, sources revealed Thursday.

The priest of Akabane Hachiman Shrine, situated in Tokyo’s Kita Ward, allegedly diverted proceeds from amulet gross sales for his private use, in response to the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau, which has accused the spiritual company that operates the shrine of failing to gather revenue tax.

The whole quantity of further taxes slapped on the company and the priest, together with penalties for underreporting, stands at roughly ¥130 million.

According to the sources, the misappropriation occurred over seven years by 2023. The Tokyo tax authorities deemed the diverted funds to be equal to the chief priest’s wage, which the company was legally required to withhold taxes on.

The bureau discovered that the priest deposited the cash acquired from guests immediately into a private account, bypassing the shrine’s official accounts, thereby constituting a deliberate act of concealment and falsification.

Akabane Hachiman Shrine is thought for promoting amulets that includes the infinity image, which has gained reputation amongst followers of the boy band Super Eight, who used the image in a former title.

Translated by The Japan Times