A security camera at Urasoe Yodore, a royal mausoleum in the Urasoe Castle Ruins, a national historic site, in Urasoe, Okinawa Prefecture, captures several people visiting the site and writing graffiti on the walls and other surfaces. (Provided by the Urasoe city’s board of education)

Photo/Illutration Graffiti spray painted on the west wall of Urasoe Yodore in Urasoe, Okinawa Prefecture, on Oct. 4 (Taro Ono)

URASOE, Okinawa Prefecture--Vandals spray painted graffiti on a mausoleum for Ryukyu Kingdom royalty here, known as “Urasoe Yodore,” officials said.

The mausoleum is located in the Urasoe Castle Ruins, a national historic site, in Urasoe, Okinawa Prefecture.

Letters of the alphabet and patterns were spray painted in black on the walls of the tomb.

The Urasoe Police Station of the Okinawa prefectural police started an investigation based on violations of the Cultural Assets Preservation Law.

Urasoe Yodore is said to have been built by King Eiso, who ruled the central region of the Okinawa mainland in the 13th century.

The tomb is said to have been renovated in the 17th century.

The castle ruins were destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, but were designated as a national historic site in 1989 and restored by the city of Urasoe’s board of education in 2005.

There was graffiti on the west wall of Urasoe Yodore and inside the arched gate in front of the tomb.

A security camera installed by the board of education captured several people visiting the site on the morning of Oct. 3 writing graffiti on the walls and other surfaces.

The Ryukyu Kingdom ruled from 1429 until 1879 when it became sovereign Japanese territory.

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