Due to the impact of China's "Japan restrictions policy," Japanese songstress Ayumi Hamasaki had her Shanghai concert called off the day before the show last month on the 29th. The situation between China and Japan has not eased; instead, tensions have escalated. On the 9th, she helplessly announced that her Macau concert scheduled for January 10 next year—which was to be the final leg of her Asian tour—has also been canceled. “After the cancellation of the Shanghai show, I have once again brought sadness and inconvenience to everyone. That I was unable to dedicate the finale show to you is deeply regrettable for all our staff. I sincerely apologize to TA (the fan name). We also promise that we will definitely create an opportunity to reunite in the future.”
After receiving sudden notification that her Shanghai concert could not proceed, she still performed with dancers and staff, singing from the first song to the encore, completing an entire concert. She posted moving photos on social media: “Even though there were 14,000 empty seats, I felt the love from TA all around the world. This is one of the most unforgettable performances for me. I sincerely thank the 200 Chinese and Japanese staff members, band members, and dancers, because it was their efforts that made this stage a reality.” Masato Matsuura, president of her label Avex, admitted this left a shadow, “It’s really scary, like making an example out of someone.”
There had been lingering doubts whether she would be able to successfully hold the Macau concert, and finally on the night of the 9th a painful answer arrived. She posted a statement in her IG Stories, explaining that after discussions between her label and promoters, considering various reasons, the Macau performance was also decided to be cancelled.
She promised to meet her fans again, “To everyone holding tickets for the Shanghai and Macau shows, in order to allow you to have priority in obtaining tickets for the sports arena tour planned for 2026, our entire team is working hard to make arrangements. Please give us a little more time—we will do everything within our power.”
News source: 壹苹新闻网