Japanese concerts cancelled in China as diplomatic row takes cultural toll
Fans of Kokia and JO1 left disappointed as diplomatic dust-up over Sanae Takaichi’s comments ripples out into the economy
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.
“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.