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South China Morning Post
07-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Surge in Hongkongers visiting Japan expected after manga ‘megaquake' fears fade
Hongkongers' enthusiasm for visiting Japan is expected to rebound 'explosively' in the coming days and months after fears of a 'megaquake' predicted in a manga proved unfounded, an industry leader has said. Advertisement Steve Huen Kwok-chuen, executive director of EGL Tours, said on Monday that rumours of a July 5 earthquake had earlier caused significant concern among some Hongkongers. Many residents had shelved trips to Japan, leading to a sharp decline in tour group bookings. He said his agency normally hosted 10 daily tour groups to Japan each with 25 to 30 members during the July summer holiday, but on Saturday only three set off, with about 10 people in each. Huen said some Hongkongers were particularly affected by the quake prediction. 'Some media outlets in Hong Kong have been hardworking and reported [on the quake fears] daily,' he said. 'Even people who initially didn't believe it ended up being convinced.' Advertisement He described the situation as 'the darkest hour before dawn'. But with the earthquake rumours dispelled, interest in travel to the country had bounced back 'in an explosive surge'.
News18
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Volcano Erupts In Japan As New Baba Vanga's 'July 5 Earthquake' Prophecy Stokes Fears
Last Updated: Video of the eruption captured by the Meteorological Agency showed lava and thick grey smoke rising from the mountain around midnight on Wednesday. Japan's Mount Shinmoedake erupted on Wednesday afternoon, sending thick ash plumes several metres into the air. Authorities issued warnings advising locals to stay away from the mountain due to safety concerns. As the volcano erupted, social media was abuzz with references to a viral prediction made by Japanese manga artist Ryo Tatsuki, who had earlier forecast a major disaster in Japan in 2025. Often likened to Baba Vanga for her uncanny foresight, Tatsuki's prophecy — which mentioned a catastrophic event in early June — resurfaced online, with many drawing connections to the sudden volcanic activity. Japan's weather agency also issued a warning and said, 'The plume reached the height of 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) for the first time since April 3, 2011." Video of the eruption captured by the Meteorological Agency showed lava and thick grey smoke rising from the mountain around midnight on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a powerful earthquake on Thursday—one of over 1,000 tremors reported in Kagoshima prefecture over the past two weeks—has intensified speculation linked to a manga prediction about a major disaster in July. Following a 5.5-magnitude quake near southern Kyushu, authorities evacuated residents from nearby remote islands on Friday. On Saturday, Japan's government warned of further possible quakes in the region but urged the public not to fall for baseless disaster rumours circulating online. The manga's first edition appeared to foreshadow the March 2011 quake and tsunami that devastated Japan. Its latest edition has been interpreted by some as predicting a major disaster on July 5, 2025 — a claim the creator, Ryo Tatsuki, has denied. Meanwhile, the viral rumour and prediction have also affected tourism in Japan, according to a report by Reuters. While Japan recorded an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million travellers in April, the numbers declined in May. Steve Huen of Hong Kong-based travel agency EGL Tours blamed a flurry of social media predictions tied to a manga that depicts a dream of a massive earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan and neighbouring countries in July 2025. 'The rumours have had a significant impact," said Huen, adding that his firm had seen its Japan-related business halve. Branden Choi, a 28-year-old frequent traveller to Japan and resident of Hong Kong, said he was hesitant to visit the country during July and August due to the manga prediction. 'If possible, I might delay my trip and go after September," he said. First Published: July 05, 2025, 14:24 IST
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
Strange Reason Flights to This Popular Country Are Being Canceled
Japan's red-hot tourism boom just hit an unexpected turbulence thanks to an old comic book. Reuters reported that airlines are suspending flights, tours are being slashed in half, and travelers across Asia are rethinking their vacations, all because of a viral rumor predicting a catastrophic earthquake on July 5, 2025. The prediction didn't come from scientists. It came from the pages of a manga titled The Future I Saw by Ryo Tatsuki, first published in 1999. The comic gained a second life online after readers connected its reference to a 2011 disaster with recent claims that a new catastrophe would strike this summer. Panic quickly spread through social media, especially in Hong Kong, prompting widespread concern and real-world fallout. Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines announced this week it would suspend service to Tokushima, Japan, citing weak demand. The airline isn't alone. Tour agencies like EGL Tours reported that bookings to Japan were cut in half, despite offering steep discounts and earthquake insurance to offset fears. 'The rumors have had a significant impact,' said Steve Huen, executive director at EGL Tours. Japan had recorded an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million international visitors in April. But in May, arrivals from Hong Kong dropped 11% compared to the previous year. Even individual travelers are second-guessing their plans. One visitor from Hong Kong told Reuters, 'If possible, I might delay my trip and go after September.' Japan sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes are common, but experts say there's no scientific basis for the manga's claims. 'None of the predictions I've experienced in my scientific career have come close at all,' said University of Tokyo seismologist Robert Geller. Even the manga's author issued a statement saying she is not a prophet. Still, the damage has been done. While many travelers like Seattle's Serena Peng continue their trips, others are holding back. Airlines and tour operators are watching closely to see whether fear fades or lingers long enough to reshape Japan's tourism Reason Flights to This Popular Country Are Being Canceled first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 5, 2025
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
Strange Reason Flights to This Popular Country Are Being Canceled
Japan's red-hot tourism boom just hit an unexpected turbulence thanks to an old comic book. Reuters reported that airlines are suspending flights, tours are being slashed in half, and travelers across Asia are rethinking their vacations, all because of a viral rumor predicting a catastrophic earthquake on July 5, 2025. The prediction didn't come from scientists. It came from the pages of a manga titled The Future I Saw by Ryo Tatsuki, first published in 1999. The comic gained a second life online after readers connected its reference to a 2011 disaster with recent claims that a new catastrophe would strike this summer. Panic quickly spread through social media, especially in Hong Kong, prompting widespread concern and real-world fallout. Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines announced this week it would suspend service to Tokushima, Japan, citing weak demand. The airline isn't alone. Tour agencies like EGL Tours reported that bookings to Japan were cut in half, despite offering steep discounts and earthquake insurance to offset fears. 'The rumors have had a significant impact,' said Steve Huen, executive director at EGL Tours. Japan had recorded an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million international visitors in April. But in May, arrivals from Hong Kong dropped 11% compared to the previous year. Even individual travelers are second-guessing their plans. One visitor from Hong Kong told Reuters, 'If possible, I might delay my trip and go after September.' Japan sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes are common, but experts say there's no scientific basis for the manga's claims. 'None of the predictions I've experienced in my scientific career have come close at all,' said University of Tokyo seismologist Robert Geller. Even the manga's author issued a statement saying she is not a prophet. Still, the damage has been done. While many travelers like Seattle's Serena Peng continue their trips, others are holding back. Airlines and tour operators are watching closely to see whether fear fades or lingers long enough to reshape Japan's tourism Reason Flights to This Popular Country Are Being Canceled first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 5, 2025
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GMA Network
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Manga doomsday prediction spooks tourists to Japan
Viral rumours of impending disaster stemming from a comic book prediction have taken the sheen off Japan's tourism boom, with some airlines cancelling flights from Hong Kong where passengers numbers have plunged. Japan has seen record numbers of visitors this year, with April setting an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million travellers. That dipped in May, however, with arrivals from Hong Kong - the superstitious Chinese-controlled city where the rumours have circulated widely - down 11% year-on-year, according to the latest data. Steve Huen of Hong Kong-based travel agency EGL Tours blamed a flurry of social media predictions tied to a manga that depicts a dream of a massive earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan and neighbouring countries in July 2025. "The rumours have had a significant impact," said Huen, adding that his firm had seen its Japan-related business halve. Discounts and the introduction of earthquake insurance had "prevented Japan-bound travel from dropping to zero," he added. Hong Kong resident Branden Choi, 28, said he was a frequent traveller to Japan but was hesitant to visit the country during July and August due to the manga prediction. "If possible, I might delay my trip and go after September", he said. Ryo Tatsuki, the artist behind the manga titled 'The Future I Saw', first published in 1999 and then re-released in 2021, has tried to dampen the speculation, saying in a statement issued by her publisher that she was "not a prophet". The first edition of the manga warned of a major natural disaster in March 2011. That was the month and year when a massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster struck Japan's northeastern coast killing thousands. Some have interpreted the latest edition as predicting a catastrophic event would occur specifically on July 5, 2025, although Tatsuki has denied this. Situated within the Pacific Ocean's 'Ring of Fire,' Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In recent days there have been more than 900 earthquakes, most of them small tremors, on islands off the southern tip of Kyushu. But Robert Geller, a professor at the University of Tokyo who has studied seismology since 1971, said even scientifically-based earthquake prediction was "impossible". "None of the predictions I've experienced in my scientific career have come close at all," he said. Nevertheless, low-cost carrier Greater Bay Airlines became the latest Hong Kong airline on Wednesday to cancel flights to Japan due to low demand, saying it would indefinitely suspend its service to Tokushima in western Japan from September. Serena Peng, 30, a visitor to Tokyo from Seattle, had initially tried to talk her husband out of visiting Japan after seeing the social media speculation. "I'm not super worried right now, but I was before," she said, speaking outside Tokyo's bustling Senso-ji temple. —Reuters
