Japan 'One Piece' singer halted mid-performance in China

Japanese singer Maki Otsuki, best known for performing a beloved theme song from the anime One Piece, was forced to suddenly stop her live performance in Shanghai, her management announced, marking the latest cultural event disrupted by growing diplomatic tensions between Japan and China.

Otsuki had been scheduled to appear for two consecutive days starting Friday at the Bandai Namco Festival 2025 in Shanghai. According to a statement posted Saturday on her official website, she was already on stage and in the middle of performing when she “had to abruptly halt her performance due to unavoidable circumstances.” No additional details were provided, but her agency’s brief message indicated the decision was not hers and was made suddenly.

The incident is part of a wave of cancellations and disruptions affecting Japanese artists and events in China this month, as relations between the two largest economies in Asia deteriorate sharply. Tensions escalated after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks implying that Japan could potentially intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked. China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory and has refused to rule out the use of force to bring it under control, reacted with anger. Beijing summoned Tokyo’s ambassador to protest and issued a warning advising Chinese citizens to reconsider or avoid travel to Japan.

The Bandai Namco Festival was originally planned to continue through Sunday, but organisers announced on the Chinese social media platform WeChat that the entire event was cancelled after “comprehensively taking into consideration various factors,” according to Kyodo News. This meant that other performers, including the popular Japanese idol group Momoiro Clover Z, who were scheduled to appear on Saturday, were also impacted.

Several well-known Japanese artists have faced similar cancellations in China amid the diplomatic rift. Pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki and acclaimed jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara both had performances scrapped at short notice. Following the cancellation of her own Shanghai tour on Friday—just one day before she was expected to perform—Hamasaki addressed fans on Instagram. She expressed disappointment but emphasised her belief in the unifying power of art, writing that she still firmly believes entertainment “should be a bridge that connects us,” and that she hopes to remain someone who helps build that bridge.