Latest news with #Watashigamitamirai
The Mainichi
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Disaster manga causes Hong Kong visitors to worry about Japan trips
TOKYO -- Many people from Hong Kong now feel afraid of visiting Japan. This worry comes from an old manga book made in 1999. Some people think the manga book tells true stories about a big earthquake or disaster coming to Japan soon. Because of these stories, fewer people from Hong Kong plan trips to Japan this year. This manga is called "Watashi ga mita mirai" ("The future I saw"). It tells about dreams the manga artist had, and says there will be a big disaster around July 2025. The artist's name is Ryo Tatsuki. Later, in 2021, the book was printed again, and about 960,000 copies were sold. It was also sold in places like Hong Kong. The book became popular because some people thought it predicted the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster that happened in Japan in March 2011. A Hong Kong airline called Greater Bay Airlines will have fewer flights to parts of Japan from May to October. The airline said fewer people want to come because they worry about a big disaster. Many people in Hong Kong believe these stories strongly. Because fewer passengers are buying tickets, the airline decided to cut down flights. Tatsuki says she just writes about dreams. She hopes people will become more careful about staying safe. She said, "People can think in their own ways, but please don't get too afraid. Listen to experts and stay calm." A Japanese professor who studies disasters says people should check the facts. He says, "Do not believe everything easily. Think carefully. Have a normal life but always be ready in case a real disaster happens." (Japanese original by Ayane Matsuyama, Digital News Group) Vocabulary disaster: something very bad that happens suddenly, like earthquakes or floods. predict: to say something may happen in the future. airline: a company that flies people from place to place by airplane. flight: a trip taken by airplane. publish: to print and sell a book or magazine. expert: a person who knows a lot about a special topic or job. passenger: a person who travels on trains, buses, airplanes, or boats. professor: a teacher at a university. calm: relaxed and not worried.
The Mainichi
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Disaster prophecy in 1999 Japan book leads to flight reductions, canceled trips from HK
TOKYO -- Prophecies of disaster written in a 1999 manga book, with no scientific backing, are affecting travel to Japan among Hong Kongers as word of the predictions spreads on social media. Posts on social media and video sharing sites warning of major disasters striking Japan are talking about canceling their trips to the country. One source of the furor is a "complete edition" of the book "Watashi ga mita mirai" (The future I saw) by manga artist Ryo Tatsuki that was published by Asuka Shinsha in 2021. The author herself has called for calm when speaking with the Mainichi Shimbun. Reduction of Japan-Hong Kong flights In April, Hong Kong airline company Greater Bay Airlines announced that from May 12 through Oct. 25, it will reduce its Sendai service from four to three flights per week and its service to the western Japan city of Tokushima from three to two flights per week. The airline determined that demand was rapidly declining due to speculation that a major disaster was expected to hit Japan in July. U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy has also made the economic situation more uncertain, leading them to decide on flight reductions. A company official commented, "Interviews with customers revealed that the degree to which they believe in the information is quite high. In Hong Kong, many people believe in feng shui, and there may be some cultural differences. We did not want to see an increase in unprofitable flights, so we had no choice but to reduce the number." Were the 2011 Great East Japan disasters predicted? Tatsuki's book describes the author's experiences of prophetic dreams, and the outer casing of the book reads, "The real disaster will come in July 2025." The manga contains written passages such as, "I dreamed of a great disaster. The waters of the Pacific Ocean south of the Japanese archipelago will rise." Originally published in 1999 by a now-disbanded publisher and out of print, the book was reedited with new elements and published by Asuka Shinsha. According to the publisher, the book is currently a big hit, selling over 960,000 copies in total, and has also been published in Hong Kong and elsewhere. One reason the original book attracted so much attention was for the warnings of a major disaster to strike in March 2011 printed on the front cover. Around 2020, the book was featured on TV shows and online video sites, and used copies began to be sold online for the equivalent of hundreds to thousands of dollars. Following those developments, Asuka Shinsha reportedly tapped Tatsuki to publish the new edition. Free to interpret, but act appropriately: author When asked about the trip cancellations and other effects the book has had, Tatsuki replied in writing, "I am merely taking it objectively." She also commented, "The high level of interest everyone is showing is proof of growing awareness of disaster prevention, and I'm taking it as a positive thing. I hope that this interest will lead to safety measures and preparedness." At the same time, she said regarding information being shared about premonitions in dreams, "I believe that everyone should be free to make their own interpretation. However, I think it is important to not get overly swept up in the process and to act appropriately in consideration of expert opinion." The publisher reinforced Tatsuki's message, stating, "The contents of this book published by our company are based on prophetic dreams the author had, and are not intended to stir up undue anxiety in any way. When it comes to disasters and other events, we believe it is important to respond carefully and appropriately based on expert advice." Satoru Kikuchi, a professor of cognitive psychology and head of the Shinshu University Disaster Mitigation and Prevention Center, calls for people to "fact-check information, stop and think." He added, "Rather than refraining from going out or sightseeing, it is important to maintain a normal lifestyle while preparing for disasters on a daily basis."
