SEOUL, February 06 (AJP) - Shotaro, a Japanese member of the K-pop boy group RIIZE, will not participate in the group's upcoming world tour performance in Macau, organizers announced Friday. The sudden withdrawal comes just one day before the scheduled event, as diplomatic and trade tensions between Beijing and Tokyo continue to impact the entertainment industry.
In a statement posted to social media, the Macau concert production team confirmed that Shotaro would be absent from the RIIZING LOUD world tour stops on February 7 and 8.
"All staff members made thorough preparations in advance so that every member could attend, but due to unavoidable and unexpected circumstances, Shotaro will not be able to participate," the organizer stated. "We once again sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by the change in the lineup."
While the production team did not provide a specific reason for the absence, industry observers attribute the move to the volatile geopolitical climate. All other members of RIIZE departed from South Korea's Incheon International Airport for Macau early on Friday, leaving Shotaro as the only member excluded from the trip.
The situation mirrors a growing trend in the Chinese-speaking region, where K-pop events featuring Japanese performers have faced abrupt cancellations or lineup changes. In December 2025, girl band LE SSERAFIM canceled a fan signing event in Shanghai, with many pointing to the presence of Japanese members Sakura and Kazuha as the cause. Similar exclusions occurred with boy band Close Your Eyes, which held a Hangzhou fan meeting without Japanese member Kenshin.
These incidents follow a historical pattern of Beijing using cultural access as diplomatic leverage, similar to the 2016 "Hallyu ban" following the deployment of the THAAD missile system in South Korea. The current friction, dubbed by some as a "No-Japan" cultural order, was largely triggered in November 2025 by comments from Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae regarding Taiwan's security. Beijing viewed the remarks as a provocation, leading to retaliatory measures including trade restrictions and unofficial curbs on Japanese cultural exports.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
