A viral video has sparked a wave of criticism after Chilean influencer Marimar Pérez seen doing exercises on a torii archa traditional Japanese structure considered sacred, located just outside the temples.
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In the video, which was initially shared on Pérez’s Instagram account, where he has an audience of 137 thousand followers, The young woman is seen performing a pull-up on the threshold of the torii. With a smile on his face, he raises his body while the popular song ‘Cha-cha slide’ plays in the background.
The recording generated a rapid reaction on networks, especially among Japanese users, who expressed their dissatisfaction with what they consider an act of disrespect towards a deeply revered structure.
Reactions and viralization
Although the ‘influencer’ chose to change her profile to private and delete the video after the controversy, it had already gone viral on other platforms, reaching thousands of views and negative comments. Japanese Internet users were quick to point out the spiritual importance of the torii arches, which represent “the border between the sacred and the profane”as ‘National Geographic’ explains on its website.
Torii, traditionally built of wood or stone and painted red, are erected outside temples in honor of nature spirits. In more recent times, some have been made of steel or other materials, but their symbolism remains the same: “Doors that give way to another state of consciousness.”
The spiritual relevance of torii
The term torii comes from two Japanese words: “tori”, which means “bird”, and “i”, which translates as “place.” Together, they form the expression “place where birds roost”, which has a deep meaning within the Shinto religion.
Birds are seen as messengers of the kami, deities of nature who possess suprahuman power. According to this belief, torii not only mark a spiritual space, but also serve as a resting point for these messenger birds.
For those who practice Shintoism, crossing a torii while a bird rests on it is considered an omen, as it could be a divine message. This symbolism was one of the reasons why the influencer’s action was seen as an insult, intensifying the outrage on networks.
Emol (Chile) / GDA
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*This content was rewritten with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on information from Emol (GDA), and was reviewed by a journalist and an editor.
