Why This Topic Landed in Japan
A group of foreign tourists filming a dance video inside the vermilion torii gates of Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine tapped into built-up frustration over tourist manners, and was read as a lack of respect for a place of worship. At the same time, clips from the 2013 Japanese variety show "Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!" spread on overseas social media and drew "crazy" and "barbaric" reactions; the Shueisha Online report itself notes that the clips lost their context — the broadcast year, the setup of the skits — as they circulated. Together the two stories framed a friction running in both directions.
Key Reaction Themes
- Reframing the shrine incident as a matter of manners and nuisance, not just religion — before the religious argument, anger that they were in the way in such a narrow path and should watch their surroundings.
- Tolerance and appeals to reciprocity — "as long as they don't break anything," "Japanese people did similar things abroad too," and "is there Bon-odori at churches?"
- On the variety clips, pushback against judging old TV by today's standards, mixed with self-reflection — "why get so serious about a variety show," alongside "it was flamed back then too" and "today it'd definitely be out."
What Japanese Netizens Are Saying
A group dance video at Fushimi Inari Shrine sparks a backlash
Foreign tourists film and post a group dance inside the senbon-torii of Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine, drawing criticism for disrespecting a place of worship.
【悲報】日本の神域を「TikTokのダンスフロア」だと勘違いする外国人観光客... ・京都の伏見稲荷大社（千本鳥居）のど真ん中で、通行人を巻き込んでダンス動画を撮影 ・「京都に来たらトレンドのダンスを踊らなきゃ」と、日本の歴史と宗教施設を完全にオモチャ扱い →いや、日本の神社を舐めすぎ… Show more
Sources: 2ch
Comments:
- "How rude of them."
- "I think this much is fine, honestly — but do these people even understand that shrines and torii are religious facilities? Normally, no one dances at a religious site, even one of a faith they don't believe in."
- "It's empty, so it's fine — they're just happy and excited."
- "Before the whole religion thing, shouldn't the first reaction be anger at 'don't get in the way in such a cramped spot'?"
- "Dancing's fine, but it's damn well in the way. Watch your surroundings."
- "That said, there was a time Japanese people danced a 'mafia dance' in Italy, too."
- "As long as they don't break anything, it's fine. If you set out to be a tourism nation — inviting people of different cultures because you have no resources — you just have to accept that this comes with it."
- "Conversely, is there such a thing as Bon-odori at a church?" [Translator's note: Bon-odori is a Japanese Buddhist summer folk dance.]
- "Well, let this much slide — they didn't graffiti anything, climb on things, or damage anything."
A 13-year-old "Mecha-Ike" clip spreads abroad and draws criticism
Clips from the 2013 variety show "Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!" spread on overseas social media and draw criticism of the performers (per Shueisha Online, which notes the clips lost their broadcast year and skit setup as they circulated).
「二度と表舞台に出るな」13年前の『めちゃイケ』が大炎上、海外にも拡散…“平成のテレビ”がいま断罪される不気味さ shueisha.online/articles/-/258…
Sources: livedoor News, 2ch
Comments:
- "The face-kick to an idol hasn't been found out yet, huh."
- "It's just a variant of the boiling-water commercial."
- "Isn't this the show Hamaguchi let slip was all scripted, lines and all?"
- "The one that blew up was the kicking-an-AKB-member-in-the-head bit, right? 'Bakuretsu Otōsan' got pretty flamed back then, too, as I recall."
- "It's the one where they kicked Mayuyu in the head — Kato got hammered so hard at the time there were even death threats."
- "Only 13 years ago, huh. We feel like the times have changed, but for a TV studio it must be on the level of the world itself changing."
- "Ah, that one. Even back then I thought it was plainly messed up. Come to think of it, the name of the show before Mecha-Ike, 'Tobukusuri,' was pretty messed up too."
- "Why are you getting so serious about a variety show?"
