Japanese TikToker imitates foreign influencer’s disrespectful stunt in Osaka
Following the widespread online condemnation of a foreign influencer’s disruptive behavior on Japanese public transport, a female Japanese TikToker has now imitated the stunts – much to the dismay of her compatriots.
The initial incident involved “Sigma Boy,” a video creator with nearly one million followers on Instagram, who was filmed playing loud music from a carry bag-type speaker on a crowded Japanese train and at various tourist locations, whilst also engaging in erratic behavior such as performing backflips.
The individual now imitating these actions is Senpu (せんぷ), a TikTok user reportedly from Fukushima Prefecture with over 70,000 followers.
Senpu posted a video showing herself bringing a similar type of speaker onto a train and playing music at a loud volume, visibly startling nearby passengers.
The video appears to have been filmed on a subway train arriving at Hommachi Station on the Osaka Metro’s Midosuji line.
This was clearly an intentional attempt to replicate the “Sigma Boy” videos as the speaker used is identica and the song played prominently features the words “Sigma Boy”, with the video caption also tagging the foreign influencer’s TikTok account.
When station staff attempted to intervene and stop her disruptive actions, Senpu is seen running away from them before bizarrely attempting to dance on the train platform.
Senpu’s imitation has been met with a range of reactions on her TikTok post, echoing and expanding upon the criticisms leveled at Sigma Boy.
Several commenters highlighted the potential negative impact on other passengers, with one user stating, “I have hypersensitivity to sound, so if this happened on a quiet, relaxing train, I would hyperventilate and it would probably be traumatizing.”
Others expressed confusion and frustration, with comments like, “I seriously don’t understand what she’s trying to do,” and “It’s a nuisance for everyone.”
The overwhelming sentiment in the comments section appears to be one of disapproval, viewing the actions as a public nuisance.
The reactions to both Sigma Boy’s initial actions and Senpu’s imitation reflect a strong social norm in Japan that emphasizes consideration for others and maintaining a peaceful public environment.
The original videos featuring the influencer “Sigma Boy” in Japan showed him playing loud music and performing acrobatics, such as backflips, on busy trains and station platforms on both the JR Yamanote Line and the Tokyo Metro.
Each video showed him suddenly activating his large speaker, disrupting his fellow passengers with a blast of loud music.
He would then typically exit the train while continuing to play music and begin running or perform backflips whilst getting in the way of other commuters.
These videos spread rapidly across social media in both Japan and around the world, triggering particularly strong reactions online.
Many commentators expressed that foreign influencers should be made to leave Japan in the event they disrupted normal life or behaved disrespectfully.
It is therefore surprising that this latest incident involves a Japanese TikToker imitating a foreign influencer, given the extreme level of criticism that this type of disruptive behavior has generated.
Source: Encount
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