Key Facts
• August 2025: Nagoya city officials planned a visit to Nanjing, China.
• Purpose: Deliver Mayor Hirozawa’s letter to resume ties halted under ex-Mayor Takashi Kawamura.
• Nanjing authorities cited unspecified reasons, stating the visit was “inconvenient.”
• Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura also canceled visits to Nanjing and Tianjin, scheduled for August 24.
• Context: China’s “80th Anniversary of Victory in the Anti-Japanese War” campaign heightened anti-Japanese sentiment.
• Related: Films on the Nanjing Incident drew significant audiences in China this summer.
Summary
A planned visit by Nagoya city officials to Nanjing, China, in August 2025 has been canceled following a request from Nanjing authorities, who cited unspecified reasons. The visit aimed to deliver a letter from Mayor Hirozawa to resume ties disrupted during ex-Mayor Kawamura’s tenure. Similarly, Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura canceled his scheduled visits to Nanjing and Tianjin. The cancellations coincide with China’s “80th Anniversary of Victory in the Anti-Japanese War” campaign, which has fueled anti-Japanese sentiment, further amplified by popular films on the Nanjing Incident. These developments highlight the ongoing sensitivity in Sino-Japanese relations.
