A three-day Japanese anime event that opened in Shanghai, China, on November 28 was canceled after an incident in which Japanese singer Maki Otsukiʼs performance was abruptly interrupted mid-song. A backlash in China over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichiʼs remarks on Taiwan has led to the cancellation of a series of Japan-related events.
This is reported by The Japan Times and BBC.
Otsuki was performing the opening theme song for the popular anime One Piece, but the lights and sound went out in the middle of the song. Two members of the film crew then hurriedly carried her off the stage. Her agency said the performance had to be abruptly cut short "due to unavoidable circumstances".
Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasakiʼs concert was scheduled for Saturday in Shanghai but was abruptly canceled on Friday, citing "force majeure." Final preparations for the concert were underway Friday morning, according to people familiar with the matter. Hamasaki performed to an empty 14 000-seat stadium the next day.
The wave of cancellations comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan. In a parliamentary question last month, Takaichi, known as a vocal critic of China and its activities in the region, suggested that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan.
Since then, both sides have expressed their protests to each other, and the split has also affected daily life in both countries.
- Tensions in the Asia-Pacific region are rising amid Chinaʼs threats to seize Taiwan. The ruling Communist Party considers Taiwan part of its territory. Beijing has increasingly promised to "reunify" the island with mainland China by 2022.
- According to Taiwanʼs Ministry of Defense, Chinese military aircraft enter Taiwanʼs air defense zone more than 245 times per month — five years ago, there were at most 10 such "visits". In addition, approximately 120 crossings of the median line in the Taiwan Strait are recorded each month.
- In March 2023, Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on Chinaʼs troops to prepare for war, and on the eve of 2024 said that "reunification" was inevitable. Taiwanʼs Foreign Ministry predicts a possible attack by China in 2027.
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