Japanese Singer Hamasaki Ayumi 'completely Defeats' the Chinese Communist Party

"She delivered a resounding slap to absurdity with elegance." — On November 29, renowned Japanese pop singer Hamasaki Ayumi held a 'no-audience concert' at the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Oriental Sports Centre, performing in front of 14,000 empty seats. (Video screenshot)

[People News] News is abundant every year, and this year is particularly rich in stories. As we approach the end of 2025, bizarre news from China continues to surface one after another. A particularly sensational piece of news recently is:

On November 29, renowned Japanese pop singer Hamasaki Ayumi held a 'no-audience concert' at the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Oriental Sports Centre, performing in front of 14,000 empty seats.

Late on the night of the 29th, Hamasaki Ayumi stated, "After receiving the (organiser's) request to cancel (the performance) yesterday, we performed from the first song to the encore without an audience before leaving the venue," adding, "All performers and staff completed this performance with the same dedication as a formal show."

On the evening of November 30, Hamasaki Ayumi shared 9 photos from her 'no-audience concert' on Instagram. The venue was brilliantly lit, with paper flowers flying, and the stage effects were perfect.

In a recent post, Ayumi Hamasaki expressed, "Despite facing 14,000 empty seats, I felt an overwhelming love from audiences around the world. This has been one of the most unforgettable performances for me. I am truly grateful to the 200 staff members, band members, and dancers from China and Japan, whose dedication made this stage possible."

Before departing from Shanghai, Ayumi Hamasaki shared a black-and-white silhouette photo with the caption: "What has been promised must be kept to the end." She has also commissioned her team to create a documentary about the "no audience concert," which will be offered for free to ticket holders.

The abrupt cancellation of Ayumi Hamasaki's concert in Shanghai, along with the occurrence of her "no audience concert," has generated significant reactions both domestically and internationally.

One netizen commented, "What uncontrollable force? It's all about power. The unchecked power of the party-state in China is the true uncontrollable force."

Another user stated, "I had no idea who Ayumi Hamasaki was before, but now she has become my idol. It's not because of her songs, her singing skills, or her sweet looks, but because she elegantly delivered a powerful slap to absurdity."

"Do you really think fans would hate Japanese artists? Sorry! In fact, countless people who aren't even her fans are praising her, calling her an artist of both virtue and talent."

"Moreover, on the day the concert was cancelled, she was still praying for Hong Kong on Instagram and asked all audience members that night to avoid wearing red clothing. The stage also removed all red elements and flame effects, simply because 'friends in Hong Kong have always given us so much love, and I don't want to see red and flames when they are sad.'"

Such a gentle yet strong woman has been treated in the most brutal manner by some individuals. I truly wonder who the real embarrassment is?

Senior media figure Yan Chungu remarked: 'This is an unprecedented concert in human history; Ayumi Hamasaki will be forever recorded in the annals of history because of this event.'

'With this move, the Chinese Communist Party has once again shot itself in the foot. What was the outcome? Ayumi Hamasaki came out unscathed, collected her fees, performed for an empty venue to repay her fans, and graciously bid farewell to China, leaving behind a timeless topic for global discussion. Meanwhile, the CCP received the exact opposite of what it intended—while it sought to intimidate, it ended up weakening; while it aimed to do harm, it faced setbacks.'

Others commented on the X platform: 'Ayumi Hamasaki, with a complete (even perfect) performance in front of a sea of empty seats, demonstrates to the world: true strength is not about unleashing anger on the innocent, but about confidently fulfilling promises to the very last second, even amidst absurdity. This is the attitude and mindset that makes the untrustworthy and despicable feel ashamed!'

Chinese netizens, while genuinely admiring Ayumi Hamasaki's unexpected performance, exclaimed: 'Incredible, full of professionalism, Respect.' 'This moment will be recorded in history.' 'A magnificent performance.' 'Using the light of civilisation to illuminate the darkness of barbarism! Beautiful!' 'Greatness needs no words; the road (people) turns to fans (followers).' 'Until she received the cancellation news, she was considering the best plan for her fans. Where can you find such a sincere star?' 'A stage without an audience has achieved the most infectious performance in the world.'

A fan remarked, "Back then, she completed the entire concert despite being deaf in her left ear, and now she has blossomed like a flower amidst the ruins—this truly embodies the essence of an idol."

A netizen stated, "When many foreigners think of visiting China, they first consider Shanghai. This move effectively tarnishes Shanghai's image once again on the global stage." "Shanghai has completely lost face; it's time to stop dreaming about foreign investment. This marks a significant event signalling the end of an era, as impactful as the lockdown of Shanghai, leaving a lingering disgrace for a century."

Another netizen commented, "The one who should be embarrassed is China (referring to the CCP), not Ayumi Hamasaki"; "A real-life version of 'Beauty and the Beast', recognised worldwide"; "A harsh rebuke to the Chinese government (referring to the CCP government)."

Additionally, some netizens expressed, "This incident is akin to the (CCP) government officially declaring to the world that its open-door policy has utterly collapsed."

One netizen sarcastically noted, "Allowing Ayumi Hamasaki to dominate the internet significantly undermines our country's ongoing criticism of Japan."

As various individuals from both domestic and international circles rallied in support of Ayumi Hamasaki, on the evening of December 1, the CCP's official media outlet, 'The Paper', was the first to issue a statement refuting the rumors, asserting that the claims regarding Ayumi Hamasaki's 'solo concert' were false and that the footage was secretly taken during rehearsals. Lai Zonglong, who identified himself as a member of the filming crew, publicly apologised.

In response to this so-called 'denial', netizens sharply criticised, "This only deceives those trapped in information silos," arguing that it was an attempt to divert attention from the unjustified ban on performances to the issues of secret filming and rehearsals.

Takano Yuki, a beauty therapist who has worked closely with Ayumi Hamasaki for many years, witnessed the entire performance. She shared on her Instagram story: 'Ayumi Hamasaki repeatedly shouted Shanghai to the empty audience seats,' and 'Ayumi Hamasaki wore her usual smile, surveying the venue in a 360-degree view,' while also praising her dedication, saying, 'This is a legendary concert that will surely be remembered for generations to come.'

On November 7, during a questioning session in the House of Representatives, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi remarked that if a war were to erupt in the Taiwan Strait, 'considering the worst-case scenario,' for Japan, 'the likelihood of a situation constituting a crisis of survival is very high.' In such circumstances, Japan can consider it from another perspective.' According to the 'New Japanese Security Law,' when Japan faces a 'crisis of survival,' it is permitted to exercise its right to collective self-defence.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interpreted Takaichi's comments as a suggestion that if the CCP were to use military force against Taiwan, Japan might intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait issue. This interpretation led to a resurgence of anti-Japanese sentiment, with the CCP quickly raising the banner of 'patriotism.'

The abrupt cancellation of Ayumi Hamasaki's concert is a 'clumsy' move within this wave of anti-Japanese sentiment from the CCP, and it contains at least six significant errors:

First, while the CCP government is frustrated with the Japanese government, it should not take out its anger on a Japanese singer who has shown goodwill towards the Chinese people.

Second, Ayumi Hamasaki's concert was a commercial event that had been planned well in advance; the CCP cannot disregard market rules simply due to its political animosity towards the Japanese government.

Third, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is upset with Japanese Prime Minister Kishi Sanae and cannot direct its anger towards the concert organizers—Kolaika (Shanghai) Cultural Development Co., Ltd., Shanghai Shangxin Yuemu Cultural Media Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Julai Fu Cultural Development Co., Ltd.—nor can it take it out on the Chinese audience who purchased tickets to attend Ayumi Hamasaki's concert.

Fourth, the CCP is trying to pressure Japanese artists into opposing their own government through bullying tactics, aiming to compel the Japanese government to submit to its demands. However, this strategy has backfired, as recent polls indicate that Prime Minister Kishi Sanae's cabinet enjoys a support rate of 75%.

Fifth, following the CCP's abrupt cancellation of Ayumi Hamasaki's concert, both Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Qimai and Taipei Mayor Jiang Wan'an extended warm invitations to her to perform in Taiwan, which has inadvertently strengthened ties between Taiwan and Japan.

Sixth, the CCP's decision to cancel Ayumi Hamasaki's concert exemplifies its profound disrespect for the arts, performers, and audiences. It highlights the CCP's authoritarianism, arrogance, and rudeness, tarnishing the reputation of Shanghai as an international metropolis and bringing shame to the descendants of Yan and Huang both domestically and internationally.

After the CCP's cancellation of Ayumi Hamasaki's concert, her response was unexpectedly dignified. She refrained from commenting on the CCP's 'anti-Japanese' rhetoric, displaying no anger, complaints, or tears. Instead, she performed her planned songs with poise and sincerity to an audience of 14,000 empty seats, dedicating her effort wholeheartedly to the intended audience.

Ayumi Hamasaki's remarkable elegance sharply contrasts with the absurdity and eccentricity of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). When comparing the two, the distinctions between civilisation and barbarism, beauty and ugliness, trustworthiness and deceit, kindness and hatred, generosity and narrow-mindedness, as well as grace and vulgarity, become strikingly clear.

Some have characterised Ayumi Hamasaki as having 'knocked down' the CCP with her cleverness, claiming that 'a country has been defeated by a woman.' I believe this description is inaccurate; it should be 'a vast party has been defeated by a petite woman.'

What does the phrase 'using four taels to move a thousand pounds' signify? It refers to Ayumi Hamasaki performing in front of 14,000 empty chairs.

--Dajiyuan
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