A TikToker has sparked a debate surrounding tourist behaviour after he went viral for swimming through a famous art exhibition in Tokyo, Japan.
Although the original video was seemingly uploaded back in February, a TikToker who posts under the username Lil Mid (@lilmidtok) has recently gone viral after he swam through a water-based art exhibition at teamLab Tokyo.
“Going for a swim at teamLab Tokyo,” the TikToker said before he fell into the water, surrounded by other visitors.
The bloke managed to get a few freestyle strokes under his belt before he was stopped by what seemed to be an employee at the exhibition.
Although the video seemed to be a couple of months old, over the weekend it was picked up by Aussie content creator Sandy (@sandyinjapannn) who completely obliterated her fellow TikTok creator for his actions.
In Sandy’s video, which has garnered more than 241.4K views, she condemned the tourist’s behaviour, saying it’s the reason “why we can’t have nice things.”
“This is the type of gaijin that ruins it for everyone,” she said referencing Lil Mid’s video. And for folks who are wondering what “gaijin” is, it translates to foreigner in Japan or a person from the outside, as per Merriam-Webster.
“Sure, not all gaijin. But when there’s one too many and there’s enough of them then it’s more trouble than it’s worth, gaijin will eventually get banned from more things.”
Alongside her complaints about the TikToker’s behaviour at teamLab, Sandy also cited a bunch of decisions Japan has made as a result of poor tourist behaviour.
This included Japan’s decision to ban tourists from visiting specific alleyways in Gion — Kyoto’s Geisha district — and the plans to build a massive blockade in a tourist hotspot that’s known for its spectacular views of Mt Fuji.
“Have some respect, this is not your backyard,” Sandy added.
Sandy’s rant quickly gained traction on TikTok, with many folks siding with her opinion. Some TikTokers even shared their own personal stories and encounters with unruly tourists while on vacation.
“I’m absolutely mortified, my husband and I went to Tokyo last May and teamLABS was one of the most amazing sensory experiences. This is just ridiculously sad and pathetic. Ruins it [for] everyone else,” one person wrote.
“That’s so unbelievably disgusting,” another wrote.
Although most people sided with Sandy and her take, some people were offended by her use of the word “gaijin“. But other punters came to Sandy’s defence when it came to her use of the word.
Lil Mad — the tourist who went Ian Thorpe at teamLab Tokyo — has yet to release a proper statement following his new fame, but he did respond to Sandy’s video.
In Sandy’s comments section, the TikToker wrote: “This place is a tourist attraction, no?? Also I got multiple messages from Japanese people saying this was funny???”
In response to his flurry of questions, Sandy just stitched his comment with a snippet from his video.
“Yes, I can see that they appreciated your appreciation of their tourist attraction very much,” she wrote.
Also, just for extra reassurance, the teamLab website states the area is not intended for swimming!!!!
At the end of the day, no matter where you travel to, you should always respect the land and the people, whether it’s a tourist attraction or not.
Last year a bloke went to the Colosseum — a tourist attraction — and was dragged for engraving his name on the ancient building. Just because it attracts travellers doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want to do to it, ya know?
As of writing, Lil Mid’s controversial video is still up and has now racked up over 50.8K views. Just like Sandy’s video, some folks have now left comments condemning the creator and his attempt at swimming in the exhibition.
One person also said that his video was reminiscent of Logan Paul‘s buffoonery in Japan back in the late 2010s. IYKYK.
Hopefully, Japan doesn’t ban us from visiting this unique space as well, just like the beautiful alleyways of Gion.
