The steady current of attendees pulls you along at Ceatec, past a solid facade of booming stage shows, young women hawking their booths and fuzzy characters with free trinkets. But in the halls devoted to electronic components, there is plenty of room to relax this year, with large benches and tables scattered among the exhibits.

The rest stops were supposed to be booths from Chinese exhibitors. Many failed to show, however, after anti-Japan protests swept China several weeks ago, with rioters smashing their way into Panasonic factories, destroying Toyota dealerships and even attacking locals with Japanese products.

Ceatec organizers were forced to improvise when at least 22 Chinese companies canceled their attendance at the last minute. Anti-Japan protests are common in China, especially around the Sept. 19 anniversary of Japan's invasion of what is now Chinese soil, but this year the protests were unusually violent, and video clips were replayed endlessly on Japanese TV. The demonstrations have flared up as the decades-old debate over islands near Taiwan that are claimed by both China and Japan resurfaced in the news.

It was unclear whether the cancellations were out of solidarity with the anti-Japan protests or fear of retribution.

"My family was very worried and told me not to come, but this is my job, after all," said Yang Yuling, who made the trip with CWB Automotive, a Shanghai-based parts manufacturer that was one of about 32 Chinese companies that made the trip.