Is Japan In Danger? Tourism Takes A Hit After July 5 Manga ‘Prediction'

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The manga, titled The Future I Saw, claimed that a major disaster would hit Japan on July 5.
Japan is experiencing a noticeable decline in holiday bookings from parts of Asia, and many believe an unlikely source, a 25-year-old manga, is behind it. Tourists from countries like South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are reportedly cancelling or postponing trips due to fears sparked by a prediction in the comic.
According to The Guardian, the manga, titled The Future I Saw, was created by Ryo Tatsuki and first released in 1999. It became popular again after people noticed it had mentioned a 'great disaster" in March 2011, which is the same month Japan faced a deadly earthquake and tsunami. A new edition of the book came out in 2021. In it, Tatsuki claimed that another major disaster would hit Japan on July 5, 2025. This claim led to a flood of posts warning people to stay away from Japan.
There is no scientific proof behind the claims spreading online, but many are taking Tatsuki's words seriously because March 2011 saw a horrific disaster which killed over 18,000 people and caused the triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported that over 1,400 YouTube videos have been made about the manga's predictions. Together, they have been viewed more than 100 million times. Some videos go as far as predicting volcanic eruptions and meteor strikes. NHK also said that the updated manga has sold nearly 1 million copies.
Bloomberg Intelligence, using travel data from ForwardKeys, reported that flight bookings to Japan from Hong Kong dropped by 50 per cent compared to last year. For travel dates in late June and early July, the drop was as much as 83 per cent. A travel agency in Hong Kong said bookings during the April-May spring holidays were also down by half compared to last year.
Greater Bay Airlines, which usually sees strong demand during cherry blossom season and Easter, was surprised by the low numbers. 'We expected around 80% of the seats to be taken, but actual reservations came to only 40%," said Hiroki Ito, general manager of the airline's Japan office, in an interview with a Japanese daily, as quoted by The Guardian.
Other airlines, including Hong Kong Airlines, have also cut flights to Japan. Local officials are now stepping in to stop the panic. Yoshihiro Murai, the governor of Miyagi, one of the worst-hit regions during the 2011 disaster, urged people not to believe in the unfounded story, which has started to affect local tourism.
Japan lies in an earthquake-prone area known as the Pacific 'Ring of Fire." Experts agree that while the risk of a big earthquake is real, no one can predict exactly when or where it will happen. In April, a government report warned that a quake in the Nankai Trough could kill nearly 3,00,000 people and destroy millions of buildings. It also said there is an 80 per cent chance of such a disaster happening in the next 30 years.
Despite the growing panic, Tatsuki herself has asked readers not to take her predictions too seriously. In a recent interview with a Japanese daily, she also urged people to listen to the opinions of experts.

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