Japanese Member Of Popular SM Group Unable To Participate In Macau Concert, Why?
RIIZE’s Japanese member Shotaro will not be participating in the Macau concert.
On the 6th of February, the local production company in charge of RIIZE’s world tour “RIIZING LOUD” Macau concert announced the news of Shotaro’s absence through its official SNS.
The production company stated, “All members completed preparations in advance to go on stage, but due to unforeseen circumstances, Shotaro will not be able to participate in the performance,” adding, “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the lineup change.”
RIIZE was scheduled to hold their world tour “RIIZING LOUD” on the 7th and 8th at Galaxy Arena in Macau. The members had already departed for Macau, but Shotaro suddenly announced his absence, and the performance will proceed with five members.
No specific reason for Shotaro’s absence has been disclosed. However, some interpretations suggest it may be related to the recent escalation of China–Japan diplomatic tensions. As performance schedules for K-pop groups, including Japanese members have reportedly faced disruptions mainly in Greater China regions, the possibility of a so-called “anti-Japan restriction” has been mentioned.
In fact, MBC’s “Show! Music Core in MACAU,” which was scheduled to be held in Macau, and the “Dream Concert,” which was being planned in Hong Kong, were also canceled ahead of the performances. Although official reasons for the cancellations were not disclosed, it has been reported that there were administrative difficulties such as visa issuance issues for Japanese members.
Source: (A)
