A gymnast has sparked outrage after performing a “vulgar” routine at a sacred shrine.
María del Mar Pérez Banus – better known as Marimar Pérez – was accused of “insulting” Japanese culture after filming an Instagram video at the entrance to a holy site.
The fitness influencer performed a gymnastics routine at a Torii, a traditional Japanese gateway that marks the boundary between the sacred and the every day at Shinto shrines and some Buddhist temples.
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In the clip, the former gymnast is seen dangling from the red Torii while performing dance steps to the hit song ‘Cha-Cha Slide’ by Mr. C the Slide Man.
The Chilean influencer, who now lives in the US, was visiting Japan on holiday.
Pérez’s Instagram clip was widely shared on X where it unleashed a wave of criticism in Japan.
One local commented: “If you do something like this at a shrine, you will be punished terribly.”
Another said: “Why do they let people who insult Japanese culture into the country? This is cultural vandalism and should be recognized as an act of terrorism.”
“Japanese people would never dangle from a cross and insult Jesus, I think vulgar and uneducated foreigners should be denied entry,” wrote someone else.
Following the online backlash, the 25-year-old posted an apology video to explain that she was unaware of the importance of Torii gates.
She said: “I’m making this video to apologize to everyone.
“In the last video I did, I dangled from a structure in Japan, I really wasn’t thinking about what I was doing.
“I want to apologize a thousand times.
“Please stop sending me messages and comments, I’m really sorry.
“I hope you can understand, thank you very much.”
Pérez, who has a fitness page with her sister with 139,000 Instagram followers, represented Chile as a rhythmic gymnast at the Pan American Games in 2019.
She also won a silver medal at the South American Gymnastics Championships the same year, as reported by Need To Know.
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