Went to a Japanese Shrine and Did Pull-Up Exercise... Controversy Grows Over Chilean Gymnast Eventually

Chilean Gymnast Marimar Perez
Performs Acrobatic Moves Holding Dori
Issues Apology Amid Criticism

A Chilean national gymnastics athlete apologized after causing controversy by grabbing and hanging from a local symbol like a horizontal bar at a Japanese shrine.

According to Chilean daily La Tercera and other foreign media on the 15th (local time), Marimar Perez (25), a Chilean gymnast, recently performed an acrobatic move by holding onto a red torii (鳥居, a symbolic gate at the entrance of a shrine) with both hands and slowly lifting her body up during her trip to Japan.

[Image source=Instagram]

Perez filmed this scene and posted the video on her Instagram account. She is known to frequently showcase moves that highlight her flexibility and strength using urban terrain features.

However, this act at the Japanese shrine drew significant criticism from both Japanese and Chilean people. Negative reactions mostly included comments such as "It was disrespectful behavior at a religious site" and "People always do foolish things just to get likes." In particular, some pointed out that it diminished the meaning of the torii. The torii serves as a boundary separating the profane world (the secular) from the sacred space (the shrine). It marks the beginning of the sacred area, but Perez’s hanging from the torii like a horizontal bar was seen as undermining its significance.

Marty Friedman, the guitarist of the world-famous band Megadeth, also criticized, saying, "Please don’t do things like this when you come to Japan." Friedman is known to have lived in Japan for over 20 years.

Facing public criticism, Perez deleted the related video from her Instagram account and said, "I want to apologize for my actions in Japan." She apologized, stating, "It was an act done without any thought, and I am sorry." She also posted a message expressing regret in Japanese.

Meanwhile, local media reported that Perez was a silver medalist in the team event at the 2019 South American Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.