In Osaka's Ikeda city, a popular spot known as "Sky Torii" became the stage of a shocking scene. A couple of visitors, believed to be foreign tourists, grabbed hold of the sacred gate and started doing pull-ups. The act was filmed by another passenger, who became angry and later handed the footage to the police.
Pull-up at a sacred gate
At about 3:30 pm on August 12, at the Muyama viewpoint in Ikeda, a man was seen holding the torii and pulling himself up twice. Another person filmed the stunt with a smartphone. The video was captured by Ilya, an Estonian tourist, who described the act as extremely disrespectful.
"Seeing them treat Tori like gym equipment made me feel sick," Ilya said in an interview. "I regret that I couldn't shout at them to stop. It was pure barbarity."
⬆ The famous “Sky Torii” viewpoint in Osaka
Sky Torii is known for its breathtaking views and has become a social media hotspot. Ilya believes the two visitors arrived by taxi and immediately began their stunt, presumably to post it on Instagram or TikTok.
Tourist abuse is becoming a pattern.
This is not the first time that sacred sites have been disrespected in Japan. Such incidents have already been captured on camera, which has sparked anger among the people.
⬆ Another tourist caught doing pull-ups on a torii
In one case, a foreign woman was filmed doing pull-ups at the gate of a temple, and the clip was shared by a famous Instagram user. In another, a man was seen doing pull-ups and even backflips on a cherry blossom tree. The influencer later apologized following the backlash.
Ilya said he reported the Osaka incident to police and showed them the video. "After they saw it, they looked disappointed," he recalled.
He also expressed concern about the bigger picture: "I worry that Japanese people will start to think that all foreign tourists behave badly. Please have this kind of attitude in your own country, not here."
Official response from Ikeda City
Local officials who manage the site issued a statement: "Zucchini is sacred. Please do not treat it this way." He also promised to increase patrolling to prevent such incidents in the future.
