Following Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's (高市早苗) remarks on intervening in the event of a Taiwan contingency, participation by Chinese gaming companies in Tokyo Game Show 2026 has been sharply reduced, with many major companies' names missing from the exhibitor list.
The exhibitor list for Tokyo Game Show 2026 does not include the names of leading Chinese companies such as NetEase Games, Qookka Games, Perfect World Games and POP MART. The number of exhibitors has fallen sharply to 75, including duplicates, from 123 last year.
The deterioration in Japan-China relations is seen as the background, with relations between the two countries cooling after Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's (高市早苗) remarks last November on intervening in the event of a Taiwan contingency. Many Chinese companies are believed to have decided not to exhibit at Tokyo Game Show.
The impact of tensions between Japan and China has also extended to esports tournaments. At the Asian Games being held in Nagoya this month, China's national team has withdrawn from the League of Legends event, while also declining to participate in other events involving intellectual property owned by Japanese companies.