aespa’s Ningning is receiving backlash from Japanese fans, even though the controversy began with something as small as a lamp. This issue is now tied to rising political tension between China and Japan.
For those unversed, Japan and China are facing a serious conflict right now because of Taiwan and disputed islands. Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi warned that if China attacks Taiwan, Japan might use its military. In response, China has sent coast guard ships near the Senkaku Islands, which both countries claim. China also suspended Japanese seafood imports to put economic pressure on Japan.
In May 2022, Ningning had shared a short video on the fan platform Bubble, showing a lamp she bought and asking fans what they thought of it. The lamp’s design looked like a cloud shape, but some people later argued that it resembled a mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion. At the time, the post received almost no reaction.
However, it resurfaced recently, and Japanese netizens began criticizing her and accused her of deliberately posting it. Since she hails from Harbin, which was under Japanese colonial rule for years, fans thought the post did not seem like a coincidence.
A petition appeared on Change.org, calling for aespa to be removed from NHK’s year-end program “Kōhaku Uta Gassen,” one of the biggest broadcasts in Japan. The petition argued that Ningning’s lamp post could hurt the feelings of atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
It said that Kōhaku is an important national event and that Japan should not allow someone who “disrespected history” to appear on such a stage. The petition passed 70,000 signatures, and later reports put the number at more than 86,000.
NHK said it reviewed the issue with SM Entertainment. The broadcaster concluded that Ningning had no intention of mocking or minimizing the suffering caused by the atomic bombs. For now, NHK has not removed aespa from the lineup.
Still, the controversy has created uncertainty, especially because aespa is planning major solo concerts at Tokyo Dome and Kyocera Dome Osaka next April. The final decision about their Kōhaku appearance may change depending on how tense China-Japan relations will become.
In response to the Japanese prime minister’s remarks, Chinese authorities have been taking actions seen as pressure on Japan. These include discouraging travel and study in Japan and suspending imports of Japanese seafood.
Even the entertainment sector has been affected. Several Japanese films have faced delays or cancellations in China. “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc” saw its box office performance fall sharply after only three days in Chinese theaters.
In addition, China’s QQ Music canceled JO1’s Guangzhou fan meeting, and industry insiders say it is connected to China’s sanctions against Japan. JO1 is a Japanese boy group formed through the Japanese version of “Produce 101,” and all members are Japanese. The cancellation is likely due to the rising political tension.
On the other side, aespa is now facing backlash in Japan because the group includes a Chinese member. The situation is also complicated by reactions from China. When aespa planned to perform in Japan on July 7, 2024, Chinese fans criticized the date because it is tied to memories of the Sino-Japanese War.
This shows how Ningning is caught in the middle of both countries’ nationalism. Being a Chinese member of a Korean group has made her more exposed to political backlash from both sides.
Hong Kong’s Chengdu Daily described aespa as “victims of the Sino-Japanese conflict,” and fans have urged people not to use artists as tools in political disputes. Pop critic Kim Do Heon pointed out that Ningning’s lamp post caused no reaction when it was first uploaded in 2022. He said this is the kind of pressure that the entertainment world faces when political tension rises.
