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Laura Zhou

Vanessa Cai

A diplomatic feud between Beijing and Tokyo appears to have spilled over to the arts, with what looks like an unofficial boycott on Japanese film, music and books.
China has slapped official restrictions on tourism and trade with Japan since the row erupted in November, but so far there has been no official ban on the cultural sector.
However, the Shanghai International Film Festival, which begins this Friday, does not have any Japanese films on its line-up for the first time in 20 years.
It comes after the Beijing International Film Festival, held in April, also dropped its programme of Japanese movies.
Both festivals have been part of a film exchange programme with Japan that has been held every year since 2006 – even during a diplomatic crisis over the East China Sea in 2011 and throughout the coronavirus pandemic.


An arts worker in Shanghai said she was disappointed there was nothing from Japan at this year’s film festival but that it was “not entirely surprising”.
“The situation brings to mind the restrictions that were imposed on South Korea,” said the 35-year-old surnamed Su.
An unofficial boycott on South Korea’s entertainment industry began in 2016 after Seoul enraged Beijing by deploying an American anti-missile shield that China saw as a security threat.
Beijing made no official announcement at the time but South Korean film, television and K-pop mostly disappeared from the Chinese market. There have only been signs in recent months that the ban could be easing after some K-pop stars made a low-profile comeback in China amid a diplomatic thaw.
Those working in the arts sector believe they are feeling the effects of the hostility between Beijing and Tokyo.
The rift started when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament in November that Tokyo could intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked, angering Beijing.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunited, by force if necessary. Most nations, including Japan, do not recognise the self-ruled island as an independent state.
Days after Takaichi made the remarks, the China releases of at least two Japanese films were postponed and several Japanese pop stars, including Ayumi Hamasaki, abruptly cancelled their shows in China.
The publishing industry is also said to have been affected by the feud. Regulators are not approving any new translations of Japanese books in China, according to sources in Chinese publishing with knowledge of the matter.
Meanwhile, Japanese actor Takuya Kimura was dropped from the Twilight of the Warriors film series set in Hong Kong, Sing Tao Daily reported in March.
In addition, Japanese rock band One OK Rock called off two concerts scheduled for Hong Kong in May due to “unforeseen circumstances”, while pop stars including Fujii Kaze and Kumi Koda also cancelled their Hong Kong shows.


A filmmaker in Beijing said it was a blow for the arts sector.
“There might not be any explicit ban but censorship for any reason can inherently slow down your process,” said the filmmaker who declined to give their name due to the sensitivity of the matter.
“At this point, savvy film companies won’t even bother submitting their plans [if they are related to Japan].”
Taeyoung Kim, a senior lecturer in communication and media at Loughborough University in England, said the cultural sector was seen as an easier target for a boycott because it would cause less damage than if manufacturing or finance were targeted.
“No matter how globalised the market becomes, consuming foreign cultural products remains politically sensitive because it intersects with nationalist sentiment,” Kim said.
“This is particularly evident in East Asia, where declines in diplomatic relations have frequently resulted in consumer boycotts.”
Such restrictions could help boost consumption of domestic cultural products and promote China’s own creative industries, according to Kim, who has done extensive research on Beijing’s unofficial bans on South Korea’s cultural sector.
“Moreover, it sends a clear signal to Tokyo that these bans can be expanded to other sectors, depending on Tokyo’s response,” he said, adding that China was a key market for Japan’s arts sector.
But he said Beijing’s unofficial boycotts would not be effective for long.
“While foreign companies may suffer initial losses, they are likely to diversify their revenue streams and reduce their dependence on the Chinese market,” he said. “In turn, this could make them doubt the credibility of the Chinese market.”
Japanese film has long played a role in connecting the two nations despite tensions over wartime history and territorial disputes in the East China Sea.
In 1978, soon after Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping made a historic visit to Japan and ties between the nations improved, regulators gave approval for three Japanese films – Manhunt, Sandakan No 8 and The Glacier Fox – to screen in China.
And when he visited Tokyo as Chinese premier in 2010, Wen Jiabao praised the 2008 Oscar winner Departures, reportedly saying the Japanese film reflected “deep moral and ethical values rooted in our shared Eastern cultural heritage”.


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This week’s Shanghai film festival doesn’t include any movies from Japan – the latest sign of an unofficial boycott


This week’s Shanghai film festival doesn’t include any movies from Japan – the latest sign of an unofficial boycott.


Has a diplomatic feud prompted China to press pause on Japanese film and music?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}This week’s Shanghai film festival doesn’t include any movies from Japan – the latest sign of an unofficial boycott

This week’s Shanghai film festival doesn’t include any movies from Japan – the latest sign of an unofficial boycott