中止

中止 – chūshi. cancellation. Event cancellations happen for a variety of reasons: the performer is unable to come, weather and health risks, threats to safety, scandals and controversies, severe technical difficulties, etc. Announcements will be posted on social media and websites with information regarding refunds and possible alternatives or follow-ups. It is possible that a cancelled event may just mean it’s being postponed.

With the amount of preparation and production that goes into organizing an event, a cancellation is a big hit to both organizers and participants. In most cases, a follow-up will be planned such as another event or a livestream, which may be ticketed. Event goods will be sold online or possibly through retail stores.

With the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, you’ll also see jishuku (自粛; lit. self-restraint) used more often. It essentially means the same, but with the explicit point of it being decided upon as a precautionary measure due to circumstances. In other words, a pulling back of activities. In this case, the event could still be held as planned as there is nothing directly preventing it but to minimize the risk of spread of infection, the organizers decided to cancel.