Japanese Singer’s China Performance Cut short amidst Rising Geopolitical tensions
SHANGHAI – Japanese singer kana Otsuki was abruptly removed from the stage during her performance at the bandai Namco 2025 Festival in Shanghai on Friday,the latest sign of escalating tensions between Japan and China. The festival, initially scheduled to run through Saturday, was later canceled in its entirety.
The incident follows recent comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding potential Japanese military intervention should China attack Taiwan, a self-governed island viewed by Beijing as a breakaway province. This has triggered a wave of cancellations by Japanese artists and events in China, signaling a broader economic impact stemming from the diplomatic friction.
Otsuki’s agency cited “unavoidable circumstances” for Friday’s suspension and the subsequent cancellation of her scheduled performance. Festival organizers, communicating via the WeChat platform, stated the entire event was canceled “after exhaustively considering several factors,” without providing specifics, according to the Kyodo news agency.
The cancellation also affected the Japanese female group Momoiro Clover Z, who where slated to perform on Saturday. Other Japanese artists who have recently canceled performances in China include J-pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki, jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara, and the musical ‘Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon’.
Beyond the entertainment industry, the dispute has impacted tourism, with calls for Chinese nationals to avoid travel to Japan, and the fishing sector, as Beijing reinstated its ban on Japanese seafood imports. Thes measures represent a widening economic response to the heightened geopolitical tensions.
