One Piece Singer Halted Mid-Show Amid China-Japan Tensions

Japanese singer Maki Otsuki was stopped mid-performance in Shanghai while singing the theme for One Piece, amid escalating diplomatic tensions between China and Japan over Taiwan.

sarah

Dec 1, 2025 - 12:06

One Piece Singer Halted Mid-Show Amid China-Japan Tensions

The sudden cancellation of several Japanese music events in Shanghai—one of which was canceled mid-song—has drawn criticism from fans, with some calling the move "bad" and "too much."

On Friday, Maki Otsuki was halfway through singing the theme song from the hit anime One Piece when the lights and music stopped, prompting two crew members to escort her off the stage.

On Saturday, pop star Ayumi Hamasaki performed to an empty 14,000-seat stadium after organizers canceled her Shanghai concert, citing "essential reasons."

This spate of event cancellations comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan.

Takaichi, who is considered a vocal critic of China and its activities in the region, said last month that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan.

Beijing considers self-governing Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunify" with it.

Both sides have lodged protests against each other since then, and the rift has affected daily life in both countries.

Otsuki's management cited "urgent circumstances" as the reason for the interruption of her performance on Friday.

A separate statement on Monday said, "Apart from the cancellation of the performance, there were no major problems, and the local staff was very kind and helpful," declining to be interviewed on the matter.

According to Japan's Kyodo News, her performance was part of a three-day music festival in Shanghai, where subsequent events were also canceled after "thorough consideration of various matters."

Some of Otsuki's fans created a meme comparing the cancellation of her performance to the shocking removal of former Chinese leader Hu Jintao during a Communist Party meeting in October 2022. The meme went viral on social media over the weekend, with some saying Ms. Otsuki was given "Hu Jintao-like treatment."

Some on social media accused Chinese authorities of depriving their own people of the freedom to enjoy culture by attempting to ban Japan. One post, written in Japanese, read, "What's the point of targeting your own citizens?"

On Weibo, a platform similar to China's X-ray, a user wrote, "Don't you care about the audience—they're Chinese after all, aren't they?"

US Ambassador to Japan George Glass also joined the online conversation. "It's really sad that some people can't realize the power of music," he wrote in an X post, which included a link to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'."

He wrote, "Maki-san, don't stop believing—stay true to your faith!"

However, the incident also sparked nationalistic sentiment on Chinese social media, with some questioning why the event was even allowed given the diplomatic feud.

"How could the event be held at a time when the entire country is angry with Japan?" one Weibo user wrote.

Hamasaki, who was in Shanghai for her Asia tour, said she was suddenly asked to cancel her concert on Friday.

The pop icon wrote on Instagram that she performed to 14,000 empty seats as a way of expressing her appreciation to "the people at the company, the Chinese staff, and the extended Japanese family who struggled during this tour."

She wrote, "I still firmly believe that entertainment should be a bridge that connects people, and I want to help build that bridge."

Two weeks ago, Chinese state media announced that the release of at least two popular Japanese anime films would be postponed amid diplomatic tensions.