Dearest fans and friends,
We at Brave Wave deeply regret to inform you that we have been forced to cancel Manami Matsumae’s upcoming performances at PAX Prime in Seattle, Washington and Re:Play in Houston, Texas.
This is due to an unforeseeable issue concerning Mrs. Matsumae’s U.S. visa in which she was barred entry into the United States. We stress that this is strictly a visa processing issue and has nothing do with Mrs. Matsumae herself or her actions.
We realize that many people are disappointed by this news, and for this we extend our sincerest apologies. Our team believed everything to be in order concerning Mrs. Matsumae’s entry into the country, as she has indeed performed in the United States in the past without incident.
While this is unexpected for us, unfortunately cancellations of performances due to visa issues are a common occurrence. Many foreign artists across all disciplines struggle to receive visas that allow them to participate in events and performances in the United States. If you’d like to read more about this phenomenon, we recommend this excellent article by Larry Rohter for the New York Times: “U.S. Visa Rules Deprive Stages of Performers”.
We thank you for your understanding and sincerely hope that Mrs. Matsumae will have the opportunity to participate in U.S. events again in the near future!