Tourists Flee Japan: Manga Prophecy Sparks Panic

There are many reasons why tourists cancel their trips, from natural disasters to political conflicts… but that is not the case in Japan . Here, the prophecy contained in a manga has blown up the vacations of many Asian travelers. Published by the artist Ryo Tatsuki in 1999, “The Future I Saw” warned of a disaster of great proportions in March 2011, a date that, in retrospect, coincided with the earthquake that struck the Tohoku region of northern Japan in that very month.

Its “complete version,” released in 2021, is about a major earthquake that is expected to hit next July.

The prophecy that scares tourists away

Who is behind the prophecy that is scaring tourists away from Japan ? Ryo Tatsuki is an author who draws a comic book version of herself in which she shares visions she gets from her dreams with other characters. Her work has a significant following in Asia, especially because her fans believe she can predict future events : the cover of the original edition of the sensational manga, published in 1999, refers to a “great disaster” that would occur in March 2011, the date the country was hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami.

In the new edition containing additional material, published in 2021, Tatsuki claimed that the next major disaster will occur on July 5, 2025. His claim fueled sensational social media posts warning people to stay away from Japan.

Adding to the panic among travelers are predictions from other Japanese psychics and from Qi Xian Yu , a popular feng shui master and Hong Kong television personality known as Master Seven, who has urged people to stay away from Japan, starting in April .

What is the effect of the prophecy on tourism in Japan?

The tourists most influenced by the prophecy, according to data collected on airline bookings, come from South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong . In detail, average bookings from Hong Kong have decreased by 50% on an annual basis and those between the end of June and the beginning of July have collapsed by as much as 83% .

Responding to the numbers, Yoshihiro Murai , the governor of Miyagi, one of the three prefectures hardest hit by the 2011 disaster, said the unfounded story had begun to affect tourism in the region and implored people to ignore it. Public broadcaster NHK said the manga had spawned more than 1,400 YouTube videos , some of which fueled the alarm with predictions of a volcanic eruption and a meteorite impact. The republished paperback version, however, has sold nearly 1 million copies.

People's fear is linked to the fact that Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically hyperactive area. However, experts point out that it is impossible to accurately predict the time and place of earthquakes and advise tourists not to postpone their vacation because of a manga. The author herself, Ryo Tatsuki, suggests not taking her stories literally and listening to the experts.