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Vanessa Cai

Fans of Japanese singer-songwriter Kokia were disappointed on Wednesday night when a “last-minute technical issue” forced the cancellation of a concert in Beijing.
The organiser of the event apologised on Thursday for one of a series of Japanese cultural events that have been cancelled or delayed since China and Japan became embroiled in a diplomatic row this month.
“This should have been announced earlier! People waited for an hour and a half, and many came from out of town,” one fan said, commenting on the online apology.
The cancelled events include at least two shows in Beijing, three in Shanghai, and two in Guangzhou, according to statements from organisers.
One of the events in Guangzhou, featuring three members of the Japanese boy group JO1 was originally also scheduled for later this month. The organiser announced its cancellation on Monday, only citing “force majeure”.
In Shanghai, a three-day comedy festival featuring a dozen Japanese performers, was also cancelled for the same reason two days before its scheduled start on Thursday.
In addition, the release of two Japanese films in China will not go ahead as planned.
The Japanese comedy Cells at Work! was expected to be released in Chinese cinemas on Saturday but has had its launch date pushed back.
Also postponed is the release of Crayon Shinchan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers, an animated film that was scheduled to hit Chinese screens in early December.


Many young Chinese have grown up with broad access to Japanese animation, comics and games as well as films and television dramas.
Among the most popular is the work of Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, director of films such as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Concerts featuring music by Studio Ghibli score composer Joe Hisaishi have also long drawn enthusiastic audiences. And earlier this year, 42 performances of the original Japanese-language stage adaptation of Spirited Away were sold out in Shanghai, according to media reports.
The mood has soured, though, with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks this month suggesting that Tokyo could deploy its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
Beijing lodged strong protests over her comments, describing them as “a blatant interference in China’s internal affairs”.
The row has already affected dialogue between the two countries.
The annual Beijing-Tokyo Forum, which regularly draws high-profile officials from both sides and had been scheduled for this weekend in Beijing, has been postponed.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday that the forum had been postponed after consultation between the co-hosts. Mao added that Takaichi’s remarks had “poisoned public opinion”.
In addition, China has urged travellers and students to reconsider plans to go to Japan.
There is a very strong precedent in China for taking such action against a neighbour.
In 2016, South Korean films, TV programmes and music were hit by an unofficial boycott after the country approved the deployment of the US Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence missile system in the country, which Beijing saw as a security threat.

For Wang Shu, a 21-year-old university student in Tianjin who has followed Japanese animation since childhood, the current climate is “very unfriendly” to exchanges in the arts.
Wang, who has attended animation conventions and occasionally dresses up for cosplay, said she was concerned that public sentiment could turn against fans like her.
“General public opinion might become unfriendly and turn to criticise people who follow [the animation, comics and games] culture as a hobby,” she said.
Amid the tensions, some Chinese have expressed support online for measures targeting Japanese cultural exports.
“Starting with ourselves, the whole nation should resist Japan,” one up-voted commenter said.
Several others called for restraint, noting that they preferred a nuanced and personal approach to cultural consumption.
“When I choose games, anime or related merchandise, I … check whether the company has ever made anti-China remarks or said anything inappropriate on sensitive issues,” said Xu, a 22-year-old fan of Hello Kitty products and Nintendo games.
“If relations continue to worsen, upcoming events might be cancelled, which would be inconvenient and disappointing for fans.”
On social media platforms, many have raised concerns about the possible withdrawal of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, a hit Japanese animated fantasy released in China over the weekend. The film has topped the Chinese box office, taking more than 400 million yuan (US$56.3 million) in revenue by Wednesday, according to Lighthouse Professional Edition, a Chinese box office website.
“If the rumoured withdrawal happens, I’ll make sure to watch it before it’s taken down,” Xu said.
Some internet users also raised concerns over the possible postponement of a musical adaptation of the Sailor Moon manga which will begin touring Hangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing later this month.
Wu Yuening, a 21-year-old university student in Beijing, said the diplomatic tensions would not affect her decision whether to attend an event, adding that she thought “excessive cultural restrictions could only deepen tensions”.
We used to have a concept of a global village, but now it feels like we’re drifting further away
Pan, Chinese fan of Japanese culture
Simon Guo, who follows Japanese animation and likes concerts based on those themes, pointed to the high degree of collaboration between artists and staff on both sides, adding that creative work should not be conflated with politics.
“A lot of Chinese people work in Japan’s anime industry … and for films released in China, they surely involve many Chinese contributors’ efforts in every aspect,” said Guo, a 30-year-old working in the indie gaming industry in Shanghai.
Another consumer, Pan, a fan of Japanese drama and the anime series One Piece, argued that public sentiment alone was likely to have limited influence, unless there was a shift in official policies.
“If it’s just the public’s negative emotions … Keyboard warriors online will eventually shift their attention elsewhere, or they will find another outlet for their negative emotions,” she said.
But Pan, who is a frequent visitor to Japan, said she was worried that broader normal cultural exchanges could be affected.
“We used to have a concept of a global village, but now it feels like we’re drifting further away,” she said.
“I hope things become more open … if cultural life becomes more isolated, this could also drive talent away.”


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Japanese culture, from pop music to anime, has a big fan base in China. Photo: AFP

Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli animated creations have a large following in China. Photo: Invision/AP

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Beijing has accused Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of undermining the political basis of China-Japan relations. Photo: Kyodo

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met for the first time in person in South Korea on October 31. The present diplomatic row erupted a week after their meeting. Photo: AFP

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has walked back some of her direct comments on Taiwan. Photo: EPA

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Chinese foreign vice-minister Sun Weidong has described the Japanese leader’s remarks as an “interference in China’s internal affairs”. Photo: Xinhua

China is one of the biggest sources of foreign tourists to Japan. Photo: EPA

A leaders’ meeting at the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa has been ruled out as a senior Japanese diplomat flies to China in bid to calm tensions. Photo: Shutterstock

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China

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Fans of Kokia and JO1 left disappointed as diplomatic dust-up over Sanae Takaichi’s comments ripples out into the economy


Fans of Kokia and JO1 left disappointed as diplomatic dust-up over Sanae Takaichi’s comments ripples out into the economy.


Japanese concerts cancelled in China as diplomatic row takes cultural toll

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Fans of Kokia and JO1 left disappointed as diplomatic dust-up over Sanae Takaichi’s comments ripples out into the economy

Fans of Kokia and JO1 left disappointed as diplomatic dust-up over Sanae Takaichi’s comments ripples out into the economy