The abrupt cancellations of several Japanese music events in Shanghai -- including one mid-song -- have ignited a storm of criticism among fans, with some terming the moves "rude" and "extreme." Maki Otsuki was mid-performance of the hit anime One Piece theme on Friday when the lights and music abruptly cut off, followed by a hasty exit by two crew members. On Saturday, pop star Ayumi Hamasaki performed to an empty 14,000-seat stadium after organizers axed her concert in Shanghai, citing "force majeure" due to the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan.
Takaichi, known for her vocal criticism of China and its activities in the region, suggested in parliament last month that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan. Beijing views self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunite" with it. The rift has also affected daily life in both countries, with both sides lodging protests against each other.
Otsuki's management attributed the interruption of her performance on Friday to "unavoidable circumstances," stating that "other than the performance being cancelled, there were no particular problems, and the local staff were very kind and helpful." However, her performance was part of a three-day music festival in Shanghai, and subsequent events were also called off after "comprehensively taking into consideration various factors," according to Japan's Kyodo News.
The BBC reached out to Japanese entertainment company Bandai Namco, one of the organizers of the festival. A spokesperson from Beijing's foreign ministry, when asked about the incident at a daily media conference on Monday, told reporters: "I suggest you chat with the Chinese organizers." Some fans have even created a meme comparing Otsuki's performance shutdown to the shocking removal of China's former leader Hu Jintao during a Communist Party meeting in October 2022, which went viral on social media over the weekend.
On social media, some accused the Chinese authorities of taking away their own people's freedom to enjoy culture in their attempts to sanction Japan. "What's the point of turning the spearhead toward its own citizens?" read an X post written in Japanese. "Don't you care about the audience - they are after all Chinese, right?" wrote a user on China's X-like platform Weibo.
George Glass, the US ambassador to Japan, joined the conversation online. "It's truly regrettable that there are people who can't feel the power of music," he wrote in an X post which also included a link to Journey's Don't Stop Believin'. "Maki-san, Don't Stop Believin' -- keep holding on to your convictions!" he wrote.
However, the incident also fanned nationalist sentiments on Chinese social media, with some asking why the event was allowed in the first place given the diplomatic row. "How could the event have gone on at a time when the whole nation is angry with Japan?" a Weibo user wrote. Hamasaki, who was in Shanghai as part of her Asia tour, said she was suddenly asked to cancel her concert and performed to 14,000 empty seats as part of her appreciation for "the people in the company, the Chinese staff, and the large Japanese family that fought through this tour." She still strongly believes that entertainment should be a bridge that connects people and wants to be on the side of creating that bridge.
