Japan’s legendary superstar Ayumi Hamasaki’s scheduled Asia tour finale in Shanghai was unexpectedly canceled by the organizers citing “unforeseeable circumstances”. Following the completion of the stage setup, Hamasaki performed the entire show in an empty venue and shared photos and videos, capturing global attention.
This incident occurred against the backdrop of escalating tensions in Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations due to Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s controversial remarks on Taiwan, leading to the consecutive cancellations or interruptions of performances by various Japanese artists in China. Experts have analyzed this as a revelation of the Chinese Communist Party’s habitual interference in cultural exchanges and the underlying nature of their tactics.
On November 28, the organizers of Hamasaki’s Shanghai concert announced the cancellation of the “Hamasaki 2025 Asia Tour” in Shanghai, which was supposed to take place at the Oriental Sports Center of Pudong Development Bank on November 29, citing “unforeseeable circumstances”. Tickets were promised to be fully refunded within 30 days. This show was set to be the closing performance of Hamasaki’s Asia tour.
Hamasaki revealed on her Instagram story that she and her team of 200 people from China and Japan worked tirelessly day and night for 5 days to set up the Shanghai stage. However, the key staff members were abruptly summoned on the morning of the show day and instructed to cancel the performance.
Despite the official cancellation, Hamasaki proceeded to enter the venue as scheduled and completed the entire performance on the deserted stage.
On the night of November 29, Hamasaki posted on social media, “We performed from the first song to the encore in an empty venue before leaving. All performers and staff put in their best effort as if it were a formal show.”
It’s worth noting that a day before the cancellation, Hamasaki voluntarily altered the performance content to commemorate the victims of the Hong Kong Tai Po Hong Fook Estate fire, including removing flame effects, canceling the red-themed costumes, and urging the audience to avoid wearing red clothes.
Chinese media figure and filmmaker Shi Yuge pointed out in an interview that Hamasaki’s actions showcased her “broad perspective as a legendary figure” and demonstrated her character of “not fearing authoritarian regimes and showing a spirit of resistance”.
Shi Yuge emphasized that Hamasaki’s conduct not only embodies a strong professional ethic but also serves as a powerful protest that has sparked global outrage against targeting non-political figures for retaliation by authoritarian regimes.
Lawyer-turned-independent commentator Lai Jianping analyzed that Hamasaki’s actions first and foremost demonstrated good professional ethics and behavior. Furthermore, he views this method as a way to express protest against the involvement of politics in cultural and performing arts activities.
Lai Jianping specifically highlighted the reaction of Chinese netizens to the incident, indicating that they have shown support for Hamasaki and disapproved of the Chinese authorities’ actions, believing that such actions should not be condoned.
This event is not an isolated case. Recently, several Japanese artists have faced cancellations or interruptions in their performances in China.
On November 17, QQ Music announced the cancellation of the fan meeting “JO1 Fan Party” in Guangzhou featuring the Japanese boy group JO1 due to “unforeseeable circumstances”. On November 20, Japanese actor Yukito Kishiro announced the cancellation of his Shanghai fan meeting due to “unavoidable reasons”. The “Yoshimoto Comedy Special” at the Shanghai International Comedy Festival was also canceled for “unforeseeable reasons”.
Notably, on November 28, during the “Game Carnival 2025” in Shanghai, Japanese singer Maki Otsuki’s performance of the ending theme of “One Piece” was abruptly halted with lights and music stopped, and staff members forcibly removed her microphone and took her off the stage.
In addition, performers like Kaikawa Yoshi, Ryu Suzuki, KOKIA, and Natori have also had their performances in China either canceled or postponed.
In the realm of cinema, Japanese films such as “Crayon Shinchan: Burst Serving! The Dance of the Cherry Blossoms” and “Cells at Work!” have announced the postponement of their screenings.
The suspension of performances by artists coincides with the strong reaction from the Chinese authorities following Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s statement on November 7 in parliament, where she remarked that “Taiwanese issues could pose an existential crisis for Japan”, triggering strong responses from the Chinese Communist Party. The People’s Daily, an official Chinese publication, published an article listing “nine sins” criticizing Takaichi Sanae.
Shi Yuge delved into the context surrounding Takaichi Sanae’s remarks. He pointed out that Takaichi Sanae’s statement was based on the security treaty signed by Japan with the United States since 1952 and the constitutional amendments passed during the Abe administration in 2015. According to the relevant laws, if the United States intervenes in a Taiwan Strait conflict, Japan would inevitably be involved.
He questioned, “Why didn’t they come out to protest when it was passed in 2015 and suddenly react so strongly ten years later?”
Regarding the cancellation of performances, Shi Yuge commented, “You can’t make any substantive impact on the other party, so you choose to target civilian artists who have nothing to do with this event to express anger and stance.”
He believes this exposes the “three nothings”: incompetence in handling political issues, ignorance displayed regarding the constitutional amendment in 2015, and the banality shown in dealing with non-political figures.
On December 1, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded to foreign media inquiries about the cancelation of the Japanese singer’s concert, suggesting seeking information on the “specific operational situation and reasons” from the “Chinese hosting party”.
Lai Jianping pointed out that the performance photos of Hamasaki were globally shared on social media platforms but notably absent on the Chinese platform Weibo, which he described as a typical official act.
He explained, “Weibo is a huge platform, even if the singer herself doesn’t post, millions of Chinese netizens could repost or share it. If there’s nothing on Weibo, it can only indicate an official order to uniformly block this information.”
Regarding the impact of the event, Shi Yuge noted that the most affected party is the Chinese organizers, as they have incurred significant expenses for ticket refunds, venue rentals, artist airfare and accommodation, equipment transport, and stage setup.
An insider revealed to Taiwanese media outlet “One Apple News” that the current wave of boycotting Japanese stars by China has severely hit the Chinese organizers, as they had already paid the Japanese artists’ fees before the cancellations.
In Japan, Ayumi Hamasaki is acknowledged as a cultural symbol of the Heisei era and was hailed as the “Empress of Japanese Pop Music.” She has had a considerable influence and popularity in the Greater China and Southeast Asia regions.
Hamasaki’s completion of the entire Shanghai performance as scheduled has received widespread acclaim, with even Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, admitting that China’s losses surpassed those of Japan.
Shi Yuge praised Hamasaki, stating, “Her silent resistance is very effective, making the whole world see clearly how authoritarian regimes bring everything under their control, and anything irrelevant could become a target of venting anger.” He believes that Hamasaki’s use of peaceful means to resist showcases a stark contrast.
Lai Jianping pointed out that this incident prompts introspection on how the Chinese Communist Party is ultimately harming itself by targeting non-political figures, emphasizing that the CCP’s agenda of upholding one-party rule is directly contradictory to the interests of the people. He called for more countermeasures from the international community.
Indeed, China’s boycott of foreign artists is not a new phenomenon. In 2016, following South Korea’s agreement to deploy the THAAD system with the United States, China initiated the “Korean Ban,” leading to the withdrawal of South Korean companies like Lotte Group from China.
In 2019, China suspended issuing tourist visas to Taiwan for reasons related to cross-strait relations, and group tours from China to Taiwan have not resumed since the outbreak of the pandemic. In 2020, after Australia called for an investigation into the origin of COVID-19, China restricted imports of Australian coal and other goods, resulting in coal shortages and power cuts in several regions.
The blocking of foreign artists’ performances by China is a recurring strategy seen in various diplomatic disputes and conflicts, affecting not only cultural exchanges but also having economic repercussions on both domestic and foreign entities.