Japanese police have launched an investigation into the theft of 11 Buddhist statues from a temple in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan.

A priest at Tosenji Temple in Yamagata City reported to the police after finding the statues were missing shortly after 7 a.m. on Saturday.

Police say that the 11 wooden statues measured 15 to 25 centimeters in height, and included one of a Buddhist saint called Jizo Bosatsu. All the statues had been housed in the temple's main hall.

Police believe they were stolen from the temple.

The priest, whose residence is about 50 meters from the temple, says that he usually makes an offering and locks the entrance of the main hall at night.

The priest confirmed that the statues were there on June 28. He said that the Jizo Bosatsu, a Bodhisattva that is supposed to keep people from doing bad things, probably saw who committed the crime. He said he only wants an early return of the statues.

nhk