Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki's concert in Shanghai was cancelled on Friday due to 'force majeure', according to the organizer. This marks the latest in a series of performances and exchanges called off between China and Japan. Hamasaki stated she has no intention of commenting on matters she knows nothing about.
A notice posted on Chinese social media on Friday afternoon stated that the organizer of Ayumi Hamasaki's Shanghai concert had cancelled the event due to 'force majeure'. The organizer provided no further details, but Hamasaki, Japan's most prolific singer-songwriter, posted on social media that 'key staff members were hastily gathered in the morning, and we received a request to call off the performance'. She added that the stage, erected over five days by a team of 200 personnel from Japan and China, would be dismantled.
In her post, Hamasaki wrote: 'I have no intention of commenting on matters I have no knowledge of.' This cancellation comes amid widening tensions in Sino-Japanese relations, as it is the latest in a long list of performances and exchanges called off between the two countries. Keywords such as Taiwan Strait highlight broader geopolitical strains involving Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, and Macau.
The incident underscores ongoing disruptions to cultural exchanges, reflecting deeper diplomatic rifts between China and Japan. While the exact reasons remain unclear, it exacerbates mutual distrust.