cumberbatch in yukata

If there’s one thing Japanese people love more than Hollywood celebrities visiting Japan, it’s Hollywood celebrities visiting Japan and doing Japanese things.

Japanese Twitter user @syerinngamu recently posted a collection of photos of international celebrities doing just that. From wearing yukata to beating taiko drums to breaking open barrels of sake with a hammer and more, the pictures prove that nothing warms Japanese people’s hearts more than seeing someone internationally famous doing something cultural in their homeland.

It all started with this Tweet:

▼ “Go for it Elizabeth Olsen! Crack that sake barrel open!”

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613321075204620289

Because of that tweet’s popularity, @syerinngamu admitted that he has plenty more photos of celebrities doing Japanese things in Japan, and started posting more:

▼ Chris Pine and Alice Eve (from Star Trek Into Darkness) beating some taiko drums.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613339939887910912

▼ More Star Trek actors on the drums, this time Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613340570568671232

▼ Benedict Cumberbatch decked out in a nice, breezy yukata.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613341505353179136

▼ Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction) cleansing the streets with some water.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613342517774290944

▼ Rich Moore, the director for Wreck-It Ralph, looking thrilled to be surrounded by a Japanese recreation of the game Sugar Rush.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613344664096149508

▼ We’re not quite sure what Tim Burton is doing here, but whatever he’s holding looks very Tim Burton.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613344901435031552

▼ No wait, scratch that. Time Burton hanging out with Japanese yokai (spirits) is the most Tim Burton thing we’ve ever seen.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613345826727837696

▼ Legendary Japanese actress Kirin Kiki smashing open a sake barrel with Dustin Hoffman.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613354248340811776

▼ And the sake smashing continues with The Iron Lady’s Meryl Streep and Phyllida Lloyd.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613354695403311105

▼ Taste the iron fist, barrel!

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613355848186753024

▼ In the tradition of “iron” people smashing sake barrels, Robert Downey Jr. giving one what it had coming.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613355920685268992

▼ “Woah, you don’t have to hit it tha–”
“I’ll tell you when I’ve hit it hard enough!”

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613356682136039426

▼ Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil series) doing probably the most Japanese thing yet: posing with an almost-naked pale-white zombie.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613358799387168768

▼ “Hey crazy zombie you want some popcorn?”

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613359650088456192

▼ “Well too bad it’s mine!”

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613359811556589568

▼ And just in case you haven’t had your fill yet, here’s Tom Cruise looking adorable holding a candy cane sake-smashing hammer.

https://twitter.com/syerinngamu/status/613387156938059777

Japanese netizens were quick to point out that it would be strange to see the celebrities doing similar things in other countries. Personally I agree; it would definitely be weird if foreign celebrities coming to the U.S. were dressed up in American Flags and fed hamburgers, but for some reason the above pictures feel different to me.

What do you think? In your country, are celebrities dressed up and forced to take part in your country’s customs?

Source: Twitter (@syerinngamu) via Togetter
Featured/top image: Twitter (@syerinngamu)