Why a pop performance has become a diplomatic flashpoint
A fast growing petition in Japan is urging public broadcaster NHK to cancel K pop group aespa’s slot on Kohaku Uta Gassen, the country’s marquee end of year music broadcast. The target is Ningning, the group’s Chinese member, whose 2022 social media post featuring a lamp shaped like a mushroom cloud has resurfaced. Supporters of the petition say the image trivialized the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The controversy has moved beyond fan spaces, becoming a symbol of how culture, national memory and geopolitics can collide on a very public stage.
The petition gathered tens of thousands of signatures within days of being posted on Change.org and continued to climb through late November and early December. The organizers demand that NHK remove aespa from the New Year’s Eve program, arguing that inviting the group sends the wrong message in a year of heightened strain between Beijing and Tokyo. Critics of the petition say the online reaction is disproportionate to a two year old post, but the current political climate has amplified the stakes.
Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) is not just another variety show. For generations it has functioned as an unofficial musical closing ceremony for the year, with wide name recognition and a reputation for conferring mainstream status on performers. A booking on Kohaku can signal that a group has reached a broad audience in Japan, even as ratings and viewing habits have shifted in the streaming era.
What sparked the backlash
The uproar traces back to a 2022 post by Ningning. In it, she showed a lamp whose silhouette resembled a nuclear mushroom cloud. The image remained largely a footnote at the time, drawing some criticism but no formal complaints. It has now reemerged in a different context, just as political friction between Japan and China has intensified and public sentiment has grown more sensitive around wartime memory and national security.
The 2022 lamp post explained
Ningning’s post was framed as a lighthearted question to fans about a decorative lamp. Supporters of the petition, however, argue that any item evoking the atomic bombings is inappropriate for a public figure, especially one set to perform on a national broadcast.
In that post, Ningning addressed followers directly with a casual caption. She did not connect the lamp to history, but the shape alone was enough to trigger anger among some viewers in Japan once the image resurfaced in 2025. The gulf between a playful interior design choice and a country’s collective memory has become the center of the storm.
In the original caption, she sought feedback from fans.
“I bought a cute lamp, what do you think?”
At the time, reactions were mixed and short lived. This year, the same image is being read through a different lens, one that foregrounds Japan’s wartime experience and a fraught geopolitical moment.
Why mushroom cloud imagery is so sensitive in Japan
Imagery that resembles a mushroom cloud carries a charge in Japan that can be difficult for outsiders to grasp. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastated by atomic bombs in August 1945. The losses were immediate and immense, and survivors lived with visible and invisible wounds for decades. Anniversaries prompt reflection not only on those attacks but also on the humanitarian toll of nuclear weapons.
Some petition supporters have framed their objections in terms of respect for victims and the symbolic weight of Kohaku as a national broadcast. One supporter explained the core concern in stark terms.
“Kohaku is an important national broadcast. Allowing her to perform would hurt the victims of Hiroshima.”
Another signatory focused on the caption and the lamp’s shape.
“Someone who praised a mushroom cloud shaped light should not appear on a program watched by the whole country.”
A petition that surged in days
Online support escalated rapidly after the petition went live. Within two days it surpassed 70,000 signatures, then crossed 80,000 shortly after. As media attention grew, the tally topped 100,000 by late November and continued to climb past 120,000 in early December. The speed of that growth underscores how quickly entertainment debates can morph into national conversations when they touch sensitive themes.
Social media firestorm
The petition’s reach was boosted by a burst of activity on X, where a popular account promoted the campaign and linked to it. The post drew vast attention, helping propel the petition into trending territory and sparking harsh exchanges between users in Japan, South Korea and elsewhere. Critics called the lamp insensitive and incompatible with a prestigious national show. Others accused petitioners of politicizing pop culture and erasing the context of a casual post made years earlier.
The back and forth reflects a broader reality of transnational fandoms. K pop acts operate across borders, release content in multiple languages and tour in several markets at once. A dispute in one country can spread instantly, enlisting fans from others who bring different histories and norms into the conversation.
What NHK has said about the lineup
NHK has not announced any change to aespa’s appearance. At a midweek press conference, Hiroo Yamana, NHK’s executive director of media, suggested that the full slate would proceed as planned.
Introducing his role and context, Yamana was responding to questions about whether any acts might be dropped in light of the petition. He pointed to the existing roster and indicated no cancellations were in the works.
“The 37 groups we announced the other day, plus a special feature, I assume will be able to perform.”
The broadcaster’s stance hints at a desire to keep cultural programming separate from political disputes. NHK is a public broadcaster funded by viewer fees, and it faces strong expectations to balance sensitivity, editorial independence and audience demand.
Politics in the background
The flare up around aespa coincides with a sharper diplomatic edge between Tokyo and Beijing. Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said recently that a Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan could constitute a survival threatening situation under Japanese security law, a designation that could trigger a broader response by the Self Defence Forces. Beijing condemned those remarks as interference, and tensions rose across multiple channels.
Chinese authorities issued advisories that rippled into education and travel. The Ministry of Education urged Chinese nationals weighing studies in Japan to proceed with caution. In its advisory, the ministry used deliberately careful language.
“Cautiously consider whether you should study in Japan.”
China’s Foreign Ministry followed with a travel notice, asking citizens to hold off on trips while conditions remained unsettled.
“Refrain from visiting Japan for the time being.”
Officials also signaled tighter restrictions on Japanese cultural content and entertainment releases, while informing Japan of plans to ban imports of Japanese seafood. These steps set a colder tone for cross border exchanges and made any cultural flashpoint more combustible.
The stakes for aespa and the industry
Japan is one of the world’s largest music markets. South Korean acts build careers there with local releases, arena tours and major festival bookings. A slot on Kohaku remains a coveted marker of reach, even as the show’s influence has changed with the rise of streaming and social platforms.
Aespa has invested heavily in Japan, from arena dates to large venue milestones. The group’s presence on Kohaku would place them alongside performers with wide recognition. A cancellation would carry reputational and commercial costs, while a performance under intense scrutiny could test how a global act navigates national sensitivities.
For NHK, any decision reverberates beyond a single segment. Removing an act to satisfy a petition sets a precedent that could encourage similar campaigns in the future. Keeping the act on the bill invites backlash from those who see cultural programming as a place for reflection at the 80th anniversary of 1945. Either path has trade offs.
What options are on the table
NHK can hold its line and allow the announced lineup to perform. Producers could also shape presentation choices, such as stage visuals and any on air remarks, to steer focus toward music and to avoid images that could be read as insensitive. A short statement during the broadcast that foregrounds a message of peace is another possibility broadcasters have used in past controversies.
Another path would be to invite an apology or clarification from the artist or management, which some petition supporters have demanded. Public apologies are not uncommon in East Asian entertainment industries when a public figure is accused of insensitivity. Supporters of this approach argue that acknowledgment can defuse anger and avoid longer term damage.
A more drastic step would be to remove part of the act. Asking aespa to perform without Ningning would be unusual and would likely provoke strong reactions from fans across countries. It would also risk reducing a multinational group to national categories at a time when pop culture often seeks to transcend borders.
Producers will be watching the petition’s trajectory and any official signals as rehearsals draw nearer. The clock is ticking toward New Year’s Eve, and decisions on staging, camera blocking and set lists typically lock in during the final run up to the live broadcast.
What to Know
- A petition in Japan seeks to remove K pop group aespa from NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen over a 2022 post by Chinese member Ningning featuring a lamp shaped like a mushroom cloud.
- Signatures grew quickly, surpassing 70,000 within two days, crossing 100,000 by late November and reaching more than 120,000 in early December.
- Petition supporters say the image shows a lack of historical awareness about the atomic bombings. Critics of the petition argue the online reaction is disproportionate to a two year old post.
- NHK’s executive director of media, Hiroo Yamana, indicated at a press conference that all previously announced acts are expected to perform.
- The backlash coincides with rising China Japan tension after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks about a possible response if China blockaded Taiwan, and with new warnings from Chinese authorities on study and travel in Japan.
- Chinese government notices urged citizens to cautiously consider study plans in Japan and to refrain from visiting for the time being, and authorities signaled tighter controls on cultural content and imports.
- Kohaku remains a high visibility stage in Japan. A decision to cancel or proceed will carry commercial and symbolic consequences for the broadcaster and the group.
- Watch for any announcements from NHK during the rehearsal period and for signs of whether producers seek an on air statement or other measures to address sensitivities.
