TOKYO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd Japan-China Karaoke Contest wrapped up in Tokyo on Saturday night with contestants from China singing Japanese songs and Japanese contestants singing Chinese songs, demonstrating the friendship between the two peoples amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hu Wenjuan, director of the contest, told Xinhua that about 80 contestants from China and Japan participated in the competition this year, with 30 of them advancing to the final.
Some of the Japanese contestants come from the capital of Tokyo and its surrounding areas, while others are from Osaka, Kyoto, Mie, Hiroshima, Aichi, Hyogo and other prefectures, said Hu.
The final was held both online and offline due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, with contestants competing on an offline stage and viewers watching the event online.
In the contest of the Japanese group, Minako Watanabe sang the song "The Moon Represents My Heart" and won the best award, while Liu Daohui won the best award of the Chinese group with a song named "Sazanka no Yado."
Zhang Yifan, chief of the Japan-China Communication, said the coronavirus outbreak cannot stop the songs of friendship between Japan and China, and he hoped the songs will bring more courage to those who have been affected by the pandemic.
The annual Japan-China Karaoke Contest, which started in 1998, is attracting large numbers of Chinese and Japanese singers every year. Enditem
