Tourist’s torii gate pull-up stunt in Japan sparks outrage and debate on visitor etiquette | South China Morning Post

Oct 18, 2024

The Chilean gymnast apologised after a video of the stunt elicited widespread condemnation from Japanese social media users

The clip was shared on Instagram by Marimar Perez, a Chilean woman who lives in the US. According to her profile, Perez is a former gymnast who won a silver medal at the South American championships in 2019. Describing herself as a digital creator, her account has around 140,000 followers on the social media platform, where she posted an apology for the incident in Spanish.

“I apologise for my actions, I did not mean to be rude. I’m really sorry for what I did without thinking,” she said, adding that she wants people to stop sending her messages. The clip that caused the controversy has been deleted.

The torii gate is a sacred symbol in Japan, marking the boundary between the physical world and the spiritual realm at Shinto shrines. Using it for physical activities, like pull-ups, is considered deeply disrespectful as it violates the gate’s role in preserving the purity and sanctity of these spaces.

While some commenters expressed appreciation for Perez’s apology and said she would be welcome to return, many others were incensed, accusing her of disrespecting Japanese religion and culture.

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“Too many foreigners with no manners come to Japan and the Japanese people are fed up,” one comment read. Another said simply, “Don’t come back to Japan.”