Debate and backlash in China after Japanese singer Maki Otsuki halted mid-show in Shanghai
Chinese commentators and social media users call for discussion around cancelling large concerts at the ‘last minute’
A Japanese singer’s concert in Shanghai was abruptly halted on Friday, triggering accusations of heavy-handed restrictions amid spiralling tensions over Tokyo’s comments on Taiwan.
Maki Otsuki was midway through her performance at an anime event when the sound system was turned off, with organisers telling her to leave the stage.
Otsuki, known for singing the theme song of the popular anime series One Piece, has “returned home safely”, according to a statement published on Monday on her official website.
04:47
Why have Takaichi’s Taiwan comments sent China-Japan ties into a tailspin?
“Apart from the cancellation itself, there were no particular issues, and we were kindly assisted by the local staff,” the statement said.
On Saturday, organisers of the three-day Bandai Namco Festival 2025 announced on Chinese social media that the remaining events over the weekend had been cancelled “after considering various factors”.
This comes amid an intensifying diplomatic stand-off over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments last month about a hypothetical conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The spat has significantly affected cultural and youth exchanges, and prompted advisories from an angry Beijing against travelling to or studying in Japan.
Video footage of Otsuki being silenced on stage and ordered to leave has circulated widely on Chinese social media, sparking criticism of local authorities for going overboard with restrictions on performers from Japan.