Major Japanese Anime Events in China Canceled Due to ‘Force Majeure’

Major Japanese Anime Events in China Canceled Due to ‘Force Majeure’

Following a series of announcements regarding the cancellation of concerts by Japanese artists in China, a similar wave of cancellations is now impacting events related to anime, voice actors, and virtual singers (V-singers). Concerts scheduled right up to the day of or the day after their planned dates have been abruptly called off, causing widespread confusion among local fans.

For a live stage show within an event hosted by the Bandai Namco Group (バンダイナムコグループ) in Shanghai, which began on the 28th, performances scheduled from the 29th onward were announced as canceled. The official statement posted on Weibo (微博) cited “various circumstances”.

Furthermore, the “natori ASIA TOUR 2025 Live in Shanghai,” which was scheduled for the 28th in Shanghai, was suddenly canceled at 1 p.m. on the day of the show, citing “circumstances of force majeure”.

Today, and tomorrow, the V-singer Kafu’s (花譜) “Kasan China 1st Solo Live ‘Shukusei'” in Shanghai was also announced as being postponed for both performances due to “force majeure”. Similarly, the anime music festival “LisAni\! LIVE SHANGHAI 2025” canceled its Shanghai performances on the 29th and 30th due to “circumstances of force majeure.”

In the anime field, the China tour of the musical “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon” (美少女戦士セーラームーン) saw its performance in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, canceled on the 28th. This cancellation follows a previous postponement of the Beijing performance, with the remaining Shanghai show currently listed as “under negotiation.”

Voice actor events have also been affected. Shuka Saitō’s (斉藤朱夏) solo concert, scheduled for December, was canceled due to the “influence of force majeure.” She commented, “I apologize to everyone who was looking forward to it…” Individual fan meetings for voice actresses Yū Wakui (和久井優) and Natsumi Murakami (村上奈津実) have also been called off due to “unavoidable circumstances”.

Many other events have been forced into cancellation as well. As noted above, organizers uniformly cite “force majeure” or “unavoidable circumstances” as the reasons. While no specific details have been provided, the cancellations are widely believed to be influenced by the recent increase in diplomatic tension between Japan and China.

Author Yoshioka
Editor-in-Chief and CEO of OTACREATE Inc. Interests in new anime (especially yuri), phones, and traveling.
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