China halts Japanese music performances, cruise lines reroute as tensions with Tokyo deepen

A widening diplomatic rift between China and Japan is reportedly spilling rapidly into the cultural and tourism sectors, with Chinese authorities this week abruptly cancelling concerts featuring Japanese performers and Chinese cruise operators beginning to steer clear of Japanese ports.

According to Reuters, the cancellations began on Thursday in Beijing, where Japanese jazz veteran Yoshio Suzuki and his band were preparing for long-awaited shows when plain-clothes police arrived at the venue.

“After less than one minute, the venue owner came to me and said the police told him all concerts with Japanese people are cancelled – and there is no discussion,” Christian Petersen-Clausen, a Norwegian concert promoter and documentary filmmaker based in China, told the agency.

According to Petersen-Clausen, roughly a dozen performances involving Japanese musicians across major cities were halted in recent days, following escalating tensions triggered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan’s survival could prompt a military response from Tokyo.

China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, reacted angrily and has warned Takaichi of unspecified consequences. Initial measures targeted economic activity — including a ban on Japanese seafood imports and a halt on group travel — but restrictions have now widened to cultural events.

Suzuki, an 80-year-old jazz bassist, and his quintet had already undergone extensive vetting to secure their China performance visas. “They were absolutely excited to come to China,” Petersen-Clausen told Reuters, adding the band was “crushed” by the last-minute cancellation.Venues were informed that concerts involving Japanese artists throughout 2025 may be cancelled and told not to file applications for new Japanese acts, Reuters said. Promoters are said to have been further instructed not to send text messages advertising upcoming Japanese performances.Other shows were cancelled as well. Japanese singer KOKIA’s Beijing concert was halted on Wednesday, drawing complaints from fans online. “Everyone queued until the start time, but they still wouldn’t let us in. Afterwards, KOKIA’s team came out to tell us the band is ready, but the venue won’t let them perform,” a user wrote on Chinese social media platform RedNote. Videos circulating on X later showed crowds outside chanting: “Give us our money back!”

In another blow, Japanese rapper KID FRESINO’s China tour was indefinitely postponed, his Chinese promoter told Reuters.

China has previously used cultural restrictions during diplomatic clashes, notably blocking major K-pop acts since the 2016 THAAD missile row. The new wave of cancellations risks undercutting Beijing’s push to revive consumer spending amid a prolonged economic slowdown. Petersen-Clausen noted that scrapped concerts affect local staff, travel bookings and young fans who turn to live music for relief during uncertain times. Despite nationalist sentiment online, he said such tensions rarely surface at concerts. “I’ve never, ever heard anybody bring politics into these moments.”

Cruise lines quietly drop Japan stops

The fallout is also rippling through the tourism sector. Chinese cruise firms have begun adjusting itineraries to avoid Japanese ports, according to schedules reviewed by Reuters and sources in the industry.

Adora Magic City, a Chinese cruise ship that regularly visits Japan and South Korea, has changed its December schedule to skip stops in Fukuoka, Sasebo and Nagasaki, according to a notice from Jeju province in South Korea. Instead, the vessel will remain in Jeju for up to 57 hours — far longer than the usual nine. Jeju officials said the operator did not offer a reason but added: “We suspect that’s because of China-Japan relations … It seems like they are drafting a Plan B.”

Other Chinese cruise companies are also considering reroutes. South Korean port agent Lee Yong-gun said several operators were discussing avoiding Japan altogether. “If the China-Japan relationship further deteriorates and China excludes Japan’s products, culture and tourism, I expect Korea should benefit from that,” he said.

Some ships, including the “Dream” departing from Tianjin, had explored shifting routes to Incheon or Busan but lacked time to revise permits.

Japan is already feeling the pinch. Tokyo-based East Japan International Travel Service said it has lost 80% of bookings for the rest of the year.

Meanwhile, South Korea has emerged as the top destination for Chinese travellers based on mid-November booking data, and Chinese airlines have begun offering refunds for Japan-bound flights — a move expected to funnel more tourists to Korean destinations.

Shares of South Korean tourism companies have surged, with Lotte Tour Development jumping more than 20% and Yellow Balloon Tour up 24% this week.

However, Reuters citing analysts cautioned that tourist flows may take time to shift. “It just happened a few days ago, so it might take time to see an increase in Chinese tourists coming to Korea, but we expect that to happen,” said Kim Seol-yeong, an official at Jeju’s Huaqing Group.

For many Chinese travellers, perceptions are changing quickly. Luna Wang, 34, from Hangzhou, said she had planned a trip to Japan but is now reconsidering. “Now it seems like Japan is not safe for Chinese people to travel … I guess the only good option is to go to Korea,” she said.

Su Shu, founder of Moment Travel in Chengdu, described a stark shift in sentiment among clients. “The feeling now is that whoever goes is a traitor,” he said.