A viral manga prediction of a July 2025 megaquake has caused a sheer drop in flights to Japan from other Asian countries.
As summer travel ramps up, bookings to Japan are doing the opposite. As an example, travel reservations from Hong Kong alone fell 50%. According to Bloomberg, the sharp decline is largely driven by fear sparked by The Future I Saw, a 1999 manga by Japanese mangaka Ryo Tatsuki. The graphic novel has exploded across social media in recent months, with videos warning of a catastrophic tsunami flooding Japan and beyond.
What is “The Future I Saw” manga about?
Although the manga was republished in 2021 with added content, its recent virality stems from a wave of doomsday content online. The Future I Saw is an autobiographical series of short stories and one-shots filled with predictions of disasters and celebrity deaths.
Tatsuki, now retired, claimed the work was inspired by a dream of a tsunami that would devastate Japan in July 2025 and ripple into Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Her previous supposed prediction of Japan’s 2011 quake has given some believers further reason to worry.
@mistershinramen Japanese Manga Predicts Future #unsolvedmysteries #unsolved #japan #japanese #tatsukiryo #japanesemanga #predictions2021 #predictions #mistershinramen ♬ original sound – MisterShinRamen
Social media turns fiction into Japan travel booking freefall
Despite officials urging calm, airline data reflects the superstitious tendencies of travelers. ForwardKeys data analyzed by Bloomberg showed bookings from Hong Kong dropped 50%, and plunged as much as 83% for the late June to early July period. Travelers from Taiwan and South Korea also pulled back.
Greater Bay Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines are two companies who cut down on flights to Japan this month, citing low demand. Cathay Pacific may face the biggest risk. The airline and its subsidiary, Hong Kong Express, have devoted nearly 20% of scheduled seats to Japan through fall, its largest international market.
Eric Zhu, an aviation analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, said, “The quake speculations are definitely having a negative impact on Japan tourism.” He added that more carriers are likely to feel the heat over the coming months.
Officials push back against the superstitions
Japanese authorities have tried to reassure the public. Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai warned that the rumors were damaging tourism, according to the article from Japan Times. Meanwhile, Japan’s Meteorological Agency reiterated that it is impossible to predict major natural disasters that far in the future.
Yet fears have continued to snowball. Contributing to the anxiety is a respected feng shui master in Hong Kong, who recently urged his large online following to avoid Japan this summer.
Although scientists have dismissed the timing claims, a recent government report didn’t help ease nerves. In February, a Japanese earthquake task force announced a megaquake alert from the Nankai Trough, which can produce 100-foot tsunamis. They said the likelihood of a megaquake in the next 30 years is around 70-80%, and could “cause a maximum of 323,000 deaths and missing person cases in the worst scenario,” according to Japan Times.
Tatsuki, meanwhile, appreciates that fans are taking disaster preparedness seriously. She said in a statement, “I, myself, would like to take precautions such as stockpiling supplies in preparation for disasters and confirming evacuation routes when going out. I intend to remain vigilant on a daily basis as we approach July 2025.”
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