China pulls plug on Japanese cultural events as diplomatic rift widens
Japanese cultural events across China are being cancelled or delayed as diplomatic tensions with Tokyo deepen.
A concert by Japanese singer-songwriter Kokia in Beijing was halted on Wednesday due to a “last-minute technical issue,” prompting the organiser to apologise the following day.
At least two shows in Beijing, three in Shanghai and two in Guangzhou have been called off, according to organisers. A Guangzhou event featuring members of the Japanese group JO1 was cancelled on Monday, citing “force majeure.”
Shanghai also scrapped a three-day comedy festival involving a dozen Japanese performers two days before its scheduled opening. The reasons given matched those used for other cancellations.
Two Japanese film releases have been postponed. The comedy “Cells at Work!” will no longer debut on Saturday as planned, and “Crayon Shinchan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers” has been delayed from its early December release.
The disruptions come despite the strong following for Japanese animation, comics, films and drama among Chinese audiences.
The cancellations began after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan could deploy its military in the event of a Taiwan Strait conflict. Beijing condemned the remarks as “a blatant interference in China’s internal affairs.”
Diplomatic dialogue has also been affected. The annual Beijing-Tokyo Forum, set for this weekend in Beijing, has been postponed, with China saying Takaichi’s comments had “poisoned public opinion.”
Uncertainty has now spread among consumers, with some worried that more upcoming events and releases could be withdrawn. Fans say the climate has become tense, even as others argue cultural exchanges should remain separate from politics.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
