15-10-2024 (TOKYO) A Chilean social media influencer has found herself at the centre of a controversy in Japan after a video of her performing a pull-up on a sacred Shinto shrine gate went viral, igniting a fierce debate about cultural sensitivity and respect for religious sites.
Marimar Pérez-Banus, who boasts a following of over 137,000 on Instagram, where she regularly posts fitness content with her sister under the handle @mmgymsisters, has inadvertently caused a stir in the Land of the Rising Sun. The contentious footage, which shows Pérez-Banus executing a pull-up on a torii gate—a traditional Japanese structure marking the entrance to Shinto shrines—was reposted on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption “Baka na gaijin” (“stupid foreigner”).
バカな外国人????????女性さん、鳥居で懸垂をし始める????????
Instagram @mmgymsisters pic.twitter.com/3bbfVfeeY5
— Masa (@masanews3) October 14, 2024
The video rapidly gained traction, amassing over 10 million views within 24 hours and eliciting a torrent of angry responses from Japanese netizens and international observers alike. The incident has reignited discussions about the behaviour of foreign visitors at Japan’s cultural and religious sites, a recurring issue as the country continues to grapple with a surge in tourism.
One particularly incensed X user commented, “What is this person doing at the torii gate? The torii gates of shrines are structures that are considered to be the boundary between the world of gods and the world of humans, but this shows a lack of respect for Japanese religious culture and customs… I hope she never comes to Japan again.”
The torii gate holds immense significance in Shinto tradition, symbolising the transition from the mundane to the sacred. It is typically regarded with great reverence, and physical contact—let alone using it for exercise—is considered highly disrespectful.
