As China-Japan diplomatic row ripples into entertainment, over 30 Japanese performances have been abruptly cancelled, leaving millions of fans of Japanese culture in China worried about a potential broader cultural ban.

Diplomatic crises often change the stakes for each, and for the Japanese, the consequences of this crisis are multifaceted. Japan’s new prime minister, Takaichi Sanae, was the initial focal point. As the Washington Post editorial board aptly noted,

No end in sight to spat between Japan and China over Taiwan, as neither Tokyo nor Beijing shows signs of backing down.

In this photo provided by Japan’s Ministry of Defense, a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber, center, is seen close to a YS-11EB electronic-intelligence aircraft, partly seen at left, of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force over the East China Sea on July 9, 2025.

The remarks come amid the two countries’ worst diplomatic crisis in years, after the Japanese prime minister said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.

Japan’s representative at the United Nations submitted a rebuttal against the latest Chinese letter to the UN, as the spat between the two nations over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan continues to simmer.

Japan plans to deploy medium-range surface-to-air missiles on Yonaguni – making it a frontline of defence in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan – as part of its broader military build-up across the southern island chain.

HONG KONG — Japan has been feeling the sting of China’s economic retaliation as their diplomatic spat over Taiwan worsens, with travel agencies canceling group tours and fears over an outright ban on Japanese seafood and movies mounting. China hinted ...

Japan's newly elected first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, appears to be a modern "Iron lady" in the mold of Margaret Thatcher with all the controversy that entails. However successful her tenure is, it is sure to reshape Japan's place in the world ...

Chinese tourism to Japan has taken a nosedive in recent weeks amid a diplomatic spat. At least a dozen air routes between the two countries have been cancelled, according to Chinese aviation tracker DAST.

Some 40% of scheduled flights from China to Japan in December have been scrapped, according to Chinese state media, as the fallout for air travel and tourism from a deepening dispute between two of Asia’s largest economies grows.