J-pop icon Ayumi Hamasaki performs in empty stadium in China, following concert's sudden cancellation

Japanese pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki was forced to cancel a concert in Shanghai a day before showtime, reportedly due to rising political tensions between China and Japan.

News of the cancellation was first announced by organisers, citing "force majeure” as the reason.

But the 47-year-old Queen of J-pop, who is currently on her Asian tour, didn’t walk away.

On Saturday (Nov 29), she went ahead and performed to an empty arena without a single fan in the 14,000 seats.

The full show was also professionally recorded, with plans for it to be released in the future.

After the concert, Hamasaki thanked her 200-member crew, calling it one of her most unforgettable performances of her career.

The Seasons singer first shared on social media that her team received a request to call off the performance and wrote: “I have no intention of commenting on matters I have no knowledge of.”

She later expressed disbelief and disappointment. “I still cannot believe it. I don’t even know how to express my feelings.”

Her decision to still perform was widely praised online, with many highlighting her professionalism and dedication.

A post on X by @Cait_Sith stated she “performed a full-stage concert in an empty venue” to record it for fans, calling her a professional, while also criticising the environment that led to the cancellation. The post has since amassed over 10 million views and more than 100,000 likes.

Ayumi Hamasaki isn’t the only Japanese act to be affected.

A Japanese anime event in Shanghai was cancelled after singer Maki Otsuki, who sang the theme song for the One Piece anime, was interrupted during the event.

This story was originally published in 8Days.

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