Shanghai: A major Japanese anime event in Shanghai was thrown into disarray after singer Maki Otsuki was abruptly removed from the stage mid-performance, leading the organisers to cancel the entire three-day festival and deepening concerns over China’s widening clampdown on Japanese cultural content.
Performance Cut Without Warning as Staff Escort Singer Away
The incident took place on the opening day of Bandai Namco Festival 2025, where Otsuki had begun singing her well known One Piece track “Memories”. Midway through the song, the lights were shut off and the audio cut, leaving the venue in darkness. Two staff members then walked on stage and escorted the singer away, according to videos circulating on social media.
Her management later said on her official website that she had to “suddenly stop performing due to unavoidable circumstances”, a line that mirrored the organisers’ silence on the precise trigger. She was due to perform again the following day, but that show was also cancelled.
The festival, which had opened with interactive attractions centred on series such as One Piece and Mobile Suit Gundam, drew large numbers of local fans on its first day. Hours after Otsuki’s interrupted performance, the organisers announced via WeChat that the entire event would be halted after “comprehensively taking into consideration various factors”.
Cancellations Pile Up as Backlash Mounts Over Taiwan Comments
The disruption unfolded amid mounting domestic backlash in China over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks on a potential Taiwan contingency. Japan linked events have been withdrawn one after another, including a Shanghai concert by Ayumi Hamasaki that was cancelled at short notice despite final preparations being under way.
