Culture caught in crossfire as Japan and China rift escalates

J-pop stars are used to adoration: the crush of the crowd, the high-pitched squeals and, of course, the applause.

In late November, however, singer Ayumi Hamasaki — bona fide J-pop royalty — walked onto the stage of a 14,000-capacity arena in Shanghai and was met with silence. The room was empty, her show abruptly canceled a day before on government orders. She went ahead with her performance (the show must go on), later calling the experience “one of the most unforgettable show[s] ever to me” on her socials.

Hamasaki had become collateral damage in the war of words between Japan and China, where new restrictions on Japanese cultural content have become a weapon of choice. Anime events have been abruptly halted; pre-approved films — including the latest “Detective Conan” movie and Hideki Takeuchi’s “Cells at Work!” — have had releases postponed; and approvals for upcoming titles are on ice. Live concerts by artists such as jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara, pop-rock duo Yuzu and “One Piece” theme singer Maki Otsuki have been canceled at the last minute, often under the vague catchall of “force majeure.”