On June 15, 2026, Chinese media outlets such as Xinhua News Agency reported that although the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival opened, the screening of Japanese films was entirely canceled due to the impact of deteriorating Japan-China relations.

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The article stated that although the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival opened in Shanghai on the 12th, not a single Japanese film was screened this time, and "Japanese Film Week," which previously introduced new Japanese films, was also canceled, and Japanese judges were not invited.

It also noted that in previous Shanghai Film Festivals, many Japanese films and anime were introduced, and last year, "Neon Genesis Evangelion" was screened, and the film "On the Sand in Summer," starring and co-produced by Joe Odagiri, received the Special Jury Award. Japanese Film Week was also held almost every year since 2006 and was not interrupted even during the nationalization of the Senkaku Islands in 2012 or the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the "unprecedented nature" of this year's situation.

Judges of the Shanghai International Film Festival
Furthermore, as background, it was mentioned that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a Diet response last November, made an extensive reference to a Taiwan contingency as a specific example of a "situation that threatens Japan's survival," which would allow for the exercise of collective self-defense. The Chinese side strongly reacted to this statement, taking what amounted to retaliatory measures, and in the same month, called for self-restraint on travel to Japan, citing "deteriorating public safety," which has severely impacted the tourism and aviation industries.

Regarding this year's Shanghai Film Festival, the article reported that a special screening section titled "Dahao Heshan (Beautiful Mountains and Rivers of the Motherland)" was planned to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and 15 carefully selected patriotic films were screened, with over 420 films gathered from 77 countries and regions. It also mentioned that in the latest list from the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), the Shanghai International Film Festival is recognized as a top-tier "World A-class Film Festival," alongside Cannes and Berlin, etc. In contrast to the cessation of Japan-China exchanges, the article conveyed the overall thriving success of the film festival. (Edited/Translated by Kawajiri)