Mizkif has apologized after public backlash surrounding a sakura tree stunt in Japan, which gained renewed attention following Kaho Shibuya’s post.
Streamers Mizkif and Kole from Tokyo Sims have come under fire after Japanese gravure model Kaho Shibuya drew additional attention to their pull-ups stunt on a Japanese cherry blossom tree.
Although the videos of this have since been deleted by the content creators, copies of the clips have spread across social media. It is the latest in a growing trend of foreign influencers attracting negative attention for stunts deemed culturally inappropriate by the local Japanese community.
Shibuya's comments blew up on social media, gathering over 2 million views in less than 24 hours. For those unfamiliar with Kaho Shibuya, she is a Japanese content creator and streamer with an immense following. While more recently known for modelling and cosplaying, she is perhaps best known for her role as a beloved adult video star.
Mizkif has now issued an official apology regarding the Sakura incident. Details are included later in this article.
Kaho Shibuya on Sakura stunt: "It just broke my heart"
In her initial social media post on April 6, Kaho Shibuya quoted a breath-taking photo of cherry blossom trees in Japan, and gave her thoughts on the Mizkif and Kole from Tokyo Sims incident.
"I saw a video of content creators I've met before doing pull-ups and gynastic tricks on a sakura tree's branches, inevitably shaking cherry-blossom petals off," said Kaho Shibuya.
"It just broke my heart to see someone I actually know doing such things in Japan; it's always been unknown people on social media"
"Fortunately the post was gone the next day, so they probably regretted and deleted it. But please, if you ever want to flex your muscles to show how much testosterone you've got... go touch your own wood."
While Kaho Shibuya did not name them in the tweet, the internet became curious and footage of the incident began gaining new traction online. While many have praised her for speaking out, others have questioned why she decided to bring up the Mizkif and Kole incident several days later, after the creators had removed the videos.
Later Shibuya would comment further live on stream. "You can't talk sh*t about Kick streamers anymore after behaving like that," she said. This relates to many cases where Kick streamers have been seen as highly toxic, disregarding many laws, cultures, and societal norms.
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Mizkif's deleted DMs leaked by Kaho Shibuya on stream
At the time, Mizkif had not yet issued a public response. However, he later apologized following the growing backlash. Prior to that apology the Japanese model and creator claimed to have been messaged by Mizkif on Discord, and that she took a screenshot of the messages before Mizkif deleted them shortly after.
According to Shibuya, she offered Mizkif the opportunity to explain his actions or for her to appear on his stream, despite expecting an unfavorable response from his community. Kaho Shibuya said she told Mizkif that it was not a personal attack on him or the other two individuals in the video.
"I would have felt and done the same to other creators I met. Locals in Japan are too frustrated with tourists causing trouble in Japan, whether they do it out of malice or oblivious," said Shibuya.
Shibuya added that she felt Mizkif response was immature, before reading it out.
"Now I have Johnny Somali accounts on me, you don’t realize what you’ve done to me, please leave me alone”
For context: Johnny Somali - real name Ramsey Khalid Ismael - was a notorious streamer who received intense backlash after engaging in culturally insensitive actions during his stay in Japan back in 2023.
Later in the same stream, Kaho Shibuya detailed the "very toxic" response she had received from fans of the creators.
"Some of their community have been very toxic. Your guys haven’t said anything to try and diminish the hate towards me, stop being one sided," said Shibuya on stream. Clips of the stream can be found below:
Mizkif issues apology following backlash
On April 6, Mizkif issued an official apology regarding the viral sakura tree stunt in Japan. In the statement shared on X, Mizkif acknowledged the cultural insensitivity of his actions. "I am ok with the criticism and understand it was wrong", said Mizkif.
Mizkif's official apology:
"Hey guys, I wanted to make make a quick statement on the situation regarding the cherry blossom tree.
A few days ago I did pullups on a cherry blossom tree. I posted the video and went to bed. The moment I was informed by a friend on the severity of the situation, I immediately deleted the post and regretted my decision.
I have been in Japan for the past few months and I have loved the Japanese culture. I have loved it so much I came back twice. I've grown a lot here as a person, I've made so many friends that I truly value and I have experienced so much of the Japanese culture that has changed my life for the better. I do not want to promote my actions as proper, they were wrong, and should be seen as such.
To any viewers, or tourists coming to Japan, please understand these trees are sacred to Japan. Do NOT touch Cherry Blossoms. They are sacred to the Japanese culture and are extremely delicate.
And to my viewers, please do not attack anyone for criticism of me in regards to the cherry blossom trees. I am ok with the criticism and understand it was wrong. I hope through this people can learn from my actions, and if you ever go to Japan be mindful of the their cherry blossoms, culture, and property. I apologize for doing those pullups on the cherry blossom tree, and I promise I will continue to be better."
At time of writing, Kole from Tokyo Sims has not come forward with an apology, nor has Khao Shibuya commented on Mizkif's public apology.
Why is the cherry blossom (Sakura) important?
In Japan, the cherry blossom, or Sakura, is considered the national flower of the region. Although it may not be officially recognized, the culture surrounding the tree and its flowers is a deep part of the country. During this time of year, cherry blossom trees flower by the thousands, and many celebrate this with “Hanami”. This tradition involves dining under the view of the beautiful flowering trees.
With the trees having a fairly short lifespan, their flowering is engrained in Japanese culture as the fleeting nature of life itself. From this, it is clear why these streamers were called out – even if not by name.
There seems to be no response from Mizkif or Kole of Tokyo Sims as yet. Many have since echoed Kaho’s original post, explaining that respect should be given to other cultures when travelling abroad. Unfortunately, this incident is unlikely to be the last.
