Senjojiki in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture is a well-known tourist destination with its coastline of soft sandstone carved by the sea over the years into a striking landscape. The softness of the rock, however, has meant that visitors over the years have been tempted to leave some graffiti behind. Honeymooning couples have carved their names with pride and added a date for good measure since well before WWII. In recent years, Senjojiki has attracted overseas tourists and, according to one Japanese report, local bigwigs have been chagrined to see that they too have been leaving their mark. Over 30,000 foreigners made the trip last year compared with only 7,500 just five years previously. The majority come from Korea, Taiwan and China and inscriptions like the hangul one below are now increasingly conspicuous. Local authorities have tried putting up warning posters as well as occasionally patrolling the coastline but to no avail. Attempts to clear away the graffiti by blasting the sandstone with high pressure water jets have also proved largely ineffectual. Shirahama major Seiichi "Touch" Tachitani is quoted saying that the town is very grateful to have so many visitors from overseas but he hopes people will behave themselves so everyone can enjoy the sights.
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