SHANGHAI (Agencies): A Japanese anime event that kicked off in Shanghai on Friday with a three-day schedule was canceled following an incident where a Japanese singer's performance was forcibly interrupted at the event venue, according to Japanese entertainment firm Bandai Namco Holdings, the event's organiser, as reported by the Japanese media.
At the venue, experience-oriented attraction booths featuring popular Japanese anime such as "One Piece" and "Mobile Suit Gundam" were set up, drawing many local anime fans on the first day on Friday.
In the evening on the day, a performance by singer Maki Otsuki, who sings the theme song for "One Piece," began, but midway through a song, the lights and sound were cut off, forcing the performance to end. On Otsuki's official website, her agency explained that the performance had to be halted abruptly "due to unavoidable circumstances."
Maki Otsuki had been slated to perform for two days from Nov 28 at the Bandai Namco Festival 2025, but her management posted a statement on her website on Nov 29 that she had to “suddenly stop performing due to unavoidable circumstances” on Nov 28.
Her performance for Nov 29 has also been cancelled for the same reason, it added.
Amid growing backlash in China over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks regarding a potential Taiwan contingency, Japan-related events in the country such as music performances have been canceled one after another, signaling a full-scale move to exclude Japanese cultural content.
Another concert by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki had been scheduled for Saturday in Shanghai, but it was abruptly canceled on Friday. Final preparations for the concert were underway when China suddenly requested the performance be canceled on Friday morning, according to people familiar with the matter.
Bandai Namco Festival 2025 itself was scheduled through Nov 30, but the organisers announced on the Chinese social media platform WeChat that the whole event would be cancelled after “comprehensively taking into consideration various factors”.
Popular Japanese female idol group Momoiro Clover Z, due to perform at the same event on Nov 29, were also affected.
Other artistes and shows that have been forced to call off performances in China besides pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki were jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara, as well as the musical Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.
Journalist Soichiro Matsutani, an expert in Asian pop culture, said the latest development comes at an unfortunate time as the Japanese government is stepping up efforts to pitch video games, anime and other content overseas.
“The situation surrounding Japan’s entertainment business could become even more severe,” Matsutani said, recalling a rift about a decade ago between China and South Korea over the deployment of a missile defence system that led to Beijing limiting the airplay of South Korean dramas. -- Agencies
