In late December 2025, a comic convention in Hangzhou banned all Japanese manga IPs and cosplay, highlighting the deepening rupture in China-Japan relations—the most severe since 1972. This move backfired spectacularly, boosting Japanese Prime Minister Takamichi Sanae’s approval rating to a historic 67.5–75%.Japanese society now views China primarily as a security threat, with over 70% supporting a hardline stance. This consensus is accelerating Japan’s strategic decoupling: major firms like Mitsubishi, Nissan, Honda, Canon, and Sony are exiting China, pulling supply chains with them. Satellite companies—20,000 to 24,000—face collapse, threatening millions of jobs in manufacturing hubs.The exodus ends the “flying geese” model of economic interdependence. With profitability plummeting and geopolitical risks rising, Japan’s withdrawal is permanent. Beijing’s aggressive tactics have only strengthened Japan’s resolve, leaving little room for reversal.
