1-12-2025 (BEIJING) Shanghai’s Bandai Namco Festival 2025, featuring Japanese anime and music acts, ended prematurely after organizers halted a performance by singer Maki Otsuki on Friday and scrapped the remaining days. The disruption occurred during Otsuki’s set of the “One Piece” theme song, when stage lights and audio suddenly cut off, forcing her offstage amid audience confusion. Event managers later cited “various factors” for the interruption, while Otsuki’s agency pointed to unavoidable circumstances in a statement posted online.
🚨🇨🇳🇯🇵 CHINA JUST YANKED A JAPANESE SINGER OFF STAGE MID-SONG BECAUSE THEY’RE THROWING A DIPLOMATIC TANTRUM OVER TAIWAN
Maki Otsuki, 52, was belting out “Memories” – the iconic first ending theme for the anime One Piece – at Bandai Namco Festival 2025 in Shanghai yesterday when… pic.twitter.com/kqfefHyKXx
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 29, 2025
The full cancellation followed swiftly, derailing Saturday appearances by idol group Momoiro Clover Z and other performers. Separately, J-pop star Ayumi Hamasaki’s scheduled concert in the same city on November 29 was axed at the last minute, with organizers notifying her team on November 28.These incidents stem from escalating diplomatic friction between Tokyo and Beijing.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments on potential military support for Taiwan in a conflict scenario drew sharp rebukes from Chinese officials, including a summons for Japan’s ambassador and warnings of severe repercussions. In response, China has issued travel alerts for its citizens heading to Japan, suspended seafood imports, and paused student exchanges—moves that have rippled into cultural spheres, affecting dozens of Japanese artist bookings across the mainland.
