AISAI, Aichi Prefecture--The offertory box at Daihoji temple here offers rich pickings for a thief who has filched the takings on more than 100 occasions, but each time chief priest Renka Haseo turns a blind eye.

Not only does Haseo pretend to be ignorant of the misdeeds, but he also makes sure there is always a small amount for the perpetrator to take.

"I have no problem with the money being taken if it is of some help," Haseo said, adding that he hopes one day to have an opportunity to talk to the thief to see if there is any way to help him with whatever problems he may be facing.

HELPING THOSE IN NEED

Daihoji is what is known as an "enkiri temple," which tries to help people in bad relationships. It is visited by numerous people seeking escape from their problems.

The offertory box is set up with an incense stand so visitors can offer a prayer, and the offerings can be retrieved from a drawer with a lock.

Soon after it was installed five years ago, Haseo realized that someone was raiding the box repeatedly.

One morning, he found the box empty even though there was money in it the previous night. The thefts occurred at random intervals, from once in six months to several times a month. In total, the offertory box has been looted more than 100 times.

Haseo, although aware that someone was stealing, didn't put a lock on it. Rather, he opted to leave 1,000 yen ($9.40) to 2,000 yen from his own pocket, rather than know the thief would leave empty-handed.

The drawer of the offertory box is pasted with a plastic label printed with a message that reads: "To the person who took money from the offertory box: If you desperately need it, please put your hands together for the Jizo deity. Would you like to talk to the priest?"

WHOLE DRAWER GONE

One of "danka" parishioners who financially supports the temple installed an alarm inside the offertory box in January this year after learning that monetary offerings had been repeatedly stolen.

The alarm would set off when the drawer was opened. But one night in February, the priest found the entire drawer gone.

In the early hours of June 19, soon after a new drawer was delivered, the offertory box, which weighs more than 20 kilograms, was found upturned, with incense sticks, ashes and other items scattered everywhere.

Haseo learned about the shocking incident in the morning and checked footage from a security camera installed when a cemetery was added to the temple complex two years ago. The footage showed a man in his 60s to 70s. On each occasion when money was stolen, the footage captured the same individual.

The man had tried, but to no avail, to break the lock with a screwdriver or something similar. He wandered around before lifting up the entire box and walking off.

It would have been heavy, and the man tossed it to the ground about 30 meters away from where it had stood. The money inside was left intact.

'WAITING FOR YOU'

When Haseo was a third-year junior high school student, Daihoji's main hall was destroyed by fire, the cause of which remains unknown.

He stood by helplessly as he watched the building burn.

Haseo recalled the shock he felt when he was told that his family was lucky to receive insurance money. He went on to a senior high school, but dropped out.

He moved to Tokyo and landed a job at a photo studio and later ran a restaurant. But in 1996, when Haseo was in his mid-20s, he decided to take over Daihoji after his older brother was appointed head priest at another temple.

Building on his own experiences, Haseo operates the temple as a "shelter for troubled souls." He has also publicly released his cell phone number to provide around-the-clock consultations throughout the year, never taking a day off.

People mostly call him at night. Typically, callers want to talk about the hardships in their lives. Other times, a caller talked about wanting to die because of an awful relationship.

He lets the callers do the talking because he believes that it is not a priest's job to give answers. Time and again, he is on the phone for hours.

After the incident in June, Haseo contacted the police, fearing further damage to the temple which, according to its website, is thought to have been built around 1550.

Still, Haseo left a message for the man who tried to steal the offertory box: "You must have some extraordinary reason to steal from the offertory box so many times. Please visit me during daytime next time. Let's have a chat, pray to sever bad ties, eat lunch and sweets together. I am waiting for you at the temple."

The offertory box still has the message addressed to the perpetrator, pasted over the keyhole damaged by a screwdriver.