TOKYO (Agencies): Japanese-themed manga and anime have been banned from one of China’s largest comic conventions, reported Hong Kong media, amid a continuing diplomatic row between Tokyo and Beijing, reported Kyodo and local dailies.
Participants were notified of the decision on Dec 19, ahead of the two-day Comicup convention scheduled to be held next weekend in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou near Shanghai, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Exhibitors and visitors were informed by the event organisers that there would be a “full-scale adjustment” of content towards “a new Chinese style” theme across the venue due to the “current social environment and our cultural obligations”, the Hong Kong newspaper said on Dec 23.
The report added that exhibition areas themed around American and European content appeared to be unaffected.
The Comicup convention will feature some 7,000 booths, and is a massive marketplace for creators of derivative works based on various anime, comics, and game fan groups.
While the event organisers did not name Japan, several dozen exhibitors featuring Japanese anime and other themed content said on social media that their booths had been cancelled for reasons “well-known to all” and “factors beyond control”, the SCMP said.
The paper quoted a woman whose booth was supposed to have featured artwork of the Japanese manga Let’s Go Karaoke! as saying: “I am feeling utterly helpless and sad.”
The ongoing dispute between the two Asian neighbours stems from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s parliamentary remarks in November that suggested an attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, prompting the possible involvement of the Self-Defence Forces.
Beijing has retaliated by, among other things, urging its citizens not to visit Japan, suspending seafood imports from the neighbouring country and cancelling cultural events featuring Japanese artists. -- Agencies
