Travelers avoiding Japan because of dire comic book prediction
Travelers are reportedly avoiding visits to Japan this summer after a catastrophic prediction made in a comic book.
Bookings from Asian countries have plummeted by as much as 50 percent compared with last year, with some speculating the cause is due to the manga graphic novel The Future I Saw.
In the comic, published in 1999 by Ryo Tatsuki, a huge earthquake prompts scores of tsunami waves that engulf Japan. The date of the fictional disaster: July 2025.
According to a Bloomberg Intelligence analysis of ForwardKeys data, airline bookings from Taiwan, South Korea have dropped since April, with Hong Kong flights plunging by an average of 50 percent from last year.
Weekly arrival bookings for late June to early July from the Asian financial hub also dropped by over 80 percent, the analysis showed.
Despite this, officials have implored tourists not to buy into the rumors, and scientists have reiterated that the exact times and strengths of earthquakes cannot be predicted using current scientific methods.
Japan's tourism industry has been strong, with a record-breaking 3.9 million foreign visitors recorded in April, the most recent figures available.
But the 'quake speculations are definitely having a negative impact on Japan tourism and it will slow the boom temporarily,' warned Eric Zhu, Bloomberg Intelligence 's analyst for aviation and defense.
'Travelers are taking a risk-adverse approach given the plethora of other short-haul options in the region.'
Many say that warnings from Tatsuki should perhaps be heeded, as she has reportedly claimed to have predicted other natural disasters, including the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
'I, myself, would like to take precautions such as stockpiling supplies in preparation for disasters and confirming evacuation routes when going out,' the artist said in a statement to Bloomberg. 'I intend to remain vigilant on a daily basis as we approach July 2025.'
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