Japan ‘One Piece’ singer stopped mid-show after China row
The sudden cancellation of multiple Japanese music events in Shanghai (one of which was mid-song) sparked criticism among fans; some called the move “rude” and “excessive.”
Maki Otsuki was halfway through the theme to the hit anime One Piece when the lights and music went out on Friday and was then rushed off stage by two crew members.
On Saturday, pop star Ayumi Hamasaki performed to an empty 14,000-seat stadium after organizers canceled her concert in Shanghai citing “force majeure”.
This wave of cancellations comes as diplomatic tensions escalate between Beijing and Tokyo over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks about Taiwan.
Takaichi, known as a vocal critic of China and its activities in the region, suggested last month that Tokyo might intervene militarily if Beijing attacked Taiwan.
Beijing considers self-governing Taiwan to be part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to “reunify” with it.
Both sides have since protested against each other, and the rift has affected daily life in both countries.
Otsuki’s management attributed the interruption in Friday’s performance to “unavoidable circumstances.”
“There were no particular problems other than the canceled show and the local staff were very courteous and helpful,” he wrote in a separate statement Monday, declining interviews on the matter.
His performance was part of a three-day music festival in Shanghai, and subsequent events were also canceled “after comprehensive consideration of various factors,” according to Japan’s Kyodo News.
The BBC reached out to Japanese entertainment company Bandai Namco, one of the organizers of the festival.
Some of Otsuki’s fans made a meme comparing the suspension of his performance to the shocking dismissal of China’s former leader Hu Jintao at the Communist Party meeting in October 2022. The meme spread on social media over the weekend, with some saying Ms. Otsuki was being given the “Hu Jintao treatment.”
Some on social media accused Chinese officials of taking away their people’s freedom to enjoy culture by attempting to impose sanctions on Japan. “What’s the point of turning the spear tip against one’s own citizens?” Read an X post written in Japanese.
“Don’t you care about the audience? After all, they’re Chinese, right?” wrote a user on Weibo, China’s X-like platform.
US Ambassador to Japan George Glass joined the conversation online. “It’s really sad that there are people who can’t feel the power of music,” he wrote in an X post that also included a link to Journey’s song Don’t Stop Believin’.
“Maki-san, Don’t Stop Believing—keep holding on to your beliefs!” he wrote.
But the event also fueled nationalist sentiment on Chinese social media, with some asking why the event was allowed in the first place due to a diplomatic row.
“How could this happen at a time when the entire nation was angry at Japan?” wrote one Weibo user.
Hamasaki, who was in Shanghai as part of an Asian tour, said she was suddenly asked to cancel her concert on Friday.
The pop icon went on to perform to 14,000 empty seats as part of her appreciation for “the people in the company, the Chinese staff, and the big Japanese family who are competing on this tour,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I still believe strongly that entertainment should be a bridge that connects people, and I want to be on the side of creating that bridge,” he wrote.
Two weeks ago, Chinese state media announced that the release of at least two popular Japanese anime films would be postponed amid diplomatic rows.
