Japanese police have issued an arrest warrant for the religious zealot they believe has waged a campaign of vandalism at some of the country’s most-important historic sites, including some that are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

For several months this year, Shinto Shrines and Buddhist Temples have complained to police about the appearance of mysterious oil stains.  Cops believe these to be the result of some bizarre “purifying” ritual. 

“I want to purify the temples and shrines with oil in order to liberate the souls of the Japanese from old customs,” the man reportedly told his followers.

The suspect is a 52-year old man who started a small religious movement based on Christianity, with about a hundred followers in Tokyo and Osaka.  He’s believed to be out of the country in New York City.

In February, the curators at Nijo Castle in Kyoto reported an oily liquid at 19 spots in the castle grounds.  The compound was the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shogun military dictators who ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868.  Monks at Toji temple in Kyoto and the grand Todaiji temple in Nara also reported oil stains, although the Giant Buddha dating back to the Eighth Century is not damaged. 

The as-yet unnamed suspect reportedly bragged to his congregation that he “purified” castles, temples, and shrines throughout Japan.  Police zeroed in on the suspect after he was captured on video by a security camera at Katori Jingu shrine in Chiba prefecture during late March.