YouTube on Thursday removed a video posted by Kalihi Shinto shrine officials of four Japanese nationals allegedly taking $1,000 worth of amulets, claiming the content violated the website’s privacy guideline.
YouTube notified Irene Takizawa, board member of the Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu, of the video’s removal. Disappointed, board President Shinken Naitoh said, "We certainly don’t believe we violated any rules. And we certainly believe that it’s newsworthy that these people are actually coming to a sacred ground, to a shrine, and ripping off the shrine.
"We believe the public has a right to know that these things are happening," said Naitoh, adding that it’s unacceptable to steal from the shrine.
On May 30 a Honolulu attorney representing the four individuals in the video sent the shrine a letter demanding that the video be taken down because they did not consent to the posting. The attorney otherwise threatened to take legal action against the shrine. The shrine didn’t disclose the name of the attorney.
On the same day, YouTube sent an email to the shrine notifying officials that they received a privacy complaint concerning the video.
The website’s guidelines include a privacy section: "If a video you’ve recorded features people who are readily identifiable and who haven’t consented to being filmed, there’s a chance they’ll file a privacy complaint seeking its removal."
Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha posted the video March 7 after security video cameras captured the group — three men and one woman — allegedly taking about 150 amulets, or omamori, on Feb. 16.
Omamori are small, silk-woven amulets that symbolize good fortune and well-being. The shrine’s Hawaii-themed omamori, which include hibiscus, ti leaves and turtle designs, are popular with tourists.
Shrine officials request a $7 minimum donation for each amulet. For decades the Shinto shrine has had an honor system in which donations are placed in an envelope. The four allegedly took advantage of the system and left $6 for 150 amulets.
Takizawa said her husband, the Rev. Masa Takizawa, conducted an inventory of the omamori shortly before the amulets were taken. He walked past the Japanese nationals before they started to stuff their bags with the omamori.
Shrine leaders saw the amulets being sold on the Internet for $18 to $25 each.
The shrine filed a theft report with police and posted the video on YouTube to get the public’s help in identifying the four individuals. The city prosecutor’s office said it was unlikely that the four would be charged because the amulets weren’t being offered for sale.
The video had approximately 3,000 views before it was removed. A message on the link now reads, "The video has been removed because its content violated YouTube’s Terms of Service."
When the Star-Advertiser contacted the website Thursday, Abbi Tatton of YouTube said it’s their policy not to comment on individual videos. Tatton added, "At that url, you will also see a message as to why it was removed — whether by the user or by YouTube."
