Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments regarding a “Taiwan contingency” have heightened tensions between China and Japan such that multiple Japanese performers recently saw their scheduled events in the mainland suddenly canceled. One of the most high-profile cases was Ayumi Hamasaki, whose Shanghai concert was halted Friday, just a day before she was set to go on stage. Instead of walking away, the 47-year-old singer decided to perform anyway, recording a full concert in an empty arena.
Ayumi Hamasaki later shared photos from the experience, centering her message on gratitude rather than disappointment. She also thanked the crew from both China and Japan who worked tirelessly on a show that ultimately could not proceed as planned. She wrote: “With 14,000 empty seats but felt so much love of TAs from all over the world, it was one of the most unforgettable show ever to me. I appreciate 200 of Chinese and Japanese crew and band members, dancers who made this stage happen from bottom of my heart. #ayuasiatour2025 #上海 #ランスルー”
The singer previously expressed her thoughts about the cancellation as she made her decision to move forward: “Find something positive, no matter how small, that enriches your soul and protect yourself.” She added, “I still strongly believe that entertainment should be a bridge that connects people, and I want to be on the side of creating that bridge.” Her actions and words drew an outpouring of support from all over the world as as the empty concert performance went viral.
Source: ayu.official / FB
Anon
Now, this has developed into fake news. A crew member videoed the full dress rehearsal performance, uploaded it and spin this malicious story.