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Hypnosis Mic Concert Canceled, Touhou Project Dōjinshi Event Postponed Due to Coronavirus COVID-19 Concerns

The official website for the Hypnosis Mic multimedia franchise announced on Thursday that the "Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- 5th Live@Saitama Six Shots to the Dome" concert event has been canceled due to concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The event was scheduled for March 28-29 at MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama. The organizers stated that they want to protect the health of the event's performers and staff, as well as make safety the utmost priority.

National live viewings scheduled at theaters throughout Japan on the same days are also canceled. Refunds for both events are available.

The official website for Touhou Projects' 17th Hakurei Jinja Reitaisai dōjinshi event also announced on Thursday that the event has been postponed. The event was scheduled for March 22 at Twin Messe Shizuoka. The organizers made the decision after the Japanese government asked on Tuesday that organizers of large events cancel or modify their plans for 10 more days, beyond the original window of mid-March. People who already purchased catalogs for the postponed event can return them to bookstores and other retailers. The staff will announce the updated venue and date of the event on its website and Twitter account.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said on February 27 that the government is asking elementary, junior high, and high schools to close until the end of spring break in early April to contain the spread of COVID-19. The government is also encouraging children and others to stay home and avoid large gatherings for the next few weeks. In March, venues and events such as Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea, Universal Studios Japan, Ghibli Museum, Sanrio Puro Land, NAMJATOWN, and AnimeJapan are canceled or temporarily closed.

The first reported cases of COVID-19 were in Wuhan, China in December, and then the disease began to spread in varying rates and intensities across many parts of the globe through incubation in human hosts. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a world health emergency on January 30, and announced on Wednesday that it is classifying the outbreak as a pandemic. As of Wednesday, the WHO reported that there are 118,326 infected individuals worldwide, with 80,955 of them in China. 3,162 individuals have died from the disease in China, and 1,130 have died outside China. The WHO raised its global risk assessment over the virus from "high" to "very high" on February 28.

As of Wednesday, the WHO reported that Japan has 568 cases of COVID-19 with 12 deaths. These numbers do not include the number of cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama. That cruise ship had 696 infected passengers and seven deaths.

Sources: Hypnosis Mic franchise's website, Anime! Anime! (Taiichirō Onose), Hakurei Jinja Reitaisai event's website via Otakomu