Strange Reason Flights to This Popular Country Are Being Canceled
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 rebound.Strange Reason Flights to This Popular Country Are Being Canceled first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 5, 2025
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Travel + Leisure
3 hours ago
- Travel + Leisure
I've Lived in Tokyo for 20 Years—These Are the 15 Things You Should Do When You Visit
The greater Tokyo metropolitan area spans over 5,000 square miles by some estimates. To put that in perspective, all five boroughs of New York City put together are only about 300 square miles. Needless to say, it's a lot of ground to cover. To help you make the most of a visit to this endless sprawl, I've distilled my experience from over 20 years of living here into a list of 15 unmissable experiences that will give you a feel for Tokyo's singular culture and style. Here are 15 of the top things to do in Tokyo, according to a local. View of Mt. Fuji at sunset. Jackyenjoyphotography/Getty Images Although it's two prefectures over, Japan's iconic mountain is visible from the capital in the right conditions. On a clear, low-humidity day, the solitary volcanic cone looms in the west, emerging as a stark evening silhouette when the sun dips behind its bulk. A few high rises in town offer a nice vantage point, including the free observatory at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, but I prefer the swish lounge at Aman Tokyo, where you can appreciate Fuji-san with live koto music and a glass of Bollinger Champagne. Beer pouring into a mug in front of several dishes. Izakaya , often translated as Japanese pubs, are casual eateries with an emphasis on drinks and shareable plates of food. They run the gamut from ancient, beer-soaked venues with overturned sake crates for seats to sleek, modern gastropubs with elevated tapas and curated wine lists, but whatever the venue, the atmosphere when the room gets crowded and boozy is as raucous and chummy as Tokyo gets. You'll find izakaya everywhere, but some of my favorites are Ginza's Uokin Honten, where the cheap and plentiful fish dishes attract huge crowds; Shinjuku's Nihonshu Genka Sakegura, a sake specialist with 50+ bottles on offer; and Shimokitazawa's Shirubee, a venerable haunt serving savory oden. A young woman shopping a thrift store in Shimokitazawa. Shimokitazawa is a grungy counter-culture neighborhood in western Tokyo famed for its live music scene and boho thrift shops. It's a part of town that has mostly resisted large-scale development, retaining the winding alleyways and tiny plots of the post-war city. Even if you aren't much of a shopper, spending a day wandering those narrow lanes and seeing what young Tokyoites are purchasing in their ever-evolving quest for self-expression is an immersion in Japan's fashion culture. My recommendations are Flash Disc Ranch for LPs, Soma for vintage sneakers, and RAGTAG for designer labels. Visitors at Meji Shrine in Tokyo. Manorath Naphaphone/Travel + Leisure The importance of shrines and temples to the cultural life of Tokyo can't be overstated. They also provide much-needed green spaces for rest and reflection amid the concrete jungle. Shibuya's Meiji Jingu and Asakusa's Senso-ji are the city's largest and most popular shrine and temple, respectively, but peaceful Gotokuji in the western suburbs is worth a trip. It claims to be the origin of Japan's maneki-neko beckoning cat statues, and you'll find them all over the grounds, as well as carved into the 17th-century pagoda. The dining room in Sezanne. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Tokyo is famously the reigning king of Michelin cities, boasting 251 stars across 194 restaurants. This naturally includes a lot of sushi and kaiseki powerhouses like Harutaka and RyuGin, and the city is also home to incredible contemporary French fare, with long-time favorites like L'Effervescence and Quintessence. Many of these restaurants have maintained their stars for over a decade, but I favor some of the newer additions like Sézanne, crowned with a third star this year, and MAZ, a boundary-busting fusion of Peruvian tradition and Japanese ingredients. A scenic pond in Shinjuku Gyoen. Shinjuku Gyoen is a massive park run by the city of Tokyo, and it's one of the few in town with well-tended grass that you can actually lay on. Like in New York's Central Park, locals love to bring a blanket and sprawl on the springy turf, canoodling, reading books, and snoozing beneath the skyline. There's a strict no-alcohol policy, but you can bring your own food and non-boozy drinks. I suggest a veggie-loaded sarnie from nearby & sandwich. and a post-picnic kip. A person holding up a microphone in front of a karaoke joints are a ubiquitous part of the Tokyo cityscape. No wonder, because they are an absolute blast! Unlike the anxiety-inducing open-mic bars common in the U.S., these are floors and floors of private rooms where no one but your friends has to hear you drunkenly warble through "Bohemian Rhapsody." Many places even supply costumes and hand percussion instruments. You'll find a karaoke place near pretty much any station, but try resort-themed Karaoke Pasela in Shibuya for wacky themed rooms, some of which have city views. A bartender passing a first cocktail bars emerged in 19th-century Yokohama at foreign-run waterfront hotels that served a largely foreign clientele. The scene has come a long way since then, with Japanese bartenders lauded as some of the world's best drawing on local spirits and produce for their original creations. At the fancy end of the spectrum, you have elegant Zen escapes like Gen Yamamoto, where seasonal craft cocktails are given the omakase treatment and served in custom flights. More toward the rowdy end are the closet-sized bars of Shinjuku's Golden Gai, a warren of grungy alleys home to snug drinking holes with obscure themes and idiosyncratic bartender-owners. Small Residential and Shopping Street in Tokyo's Yanaka Neighbourhood. GrahamShitamachi is a term that's hard to define, but think of it as something like 'old town.' Most old towns are singular districts, but Tokyo's historic streetscape survives in disparate pockets, defined by narrow, winding alleys of two-story homes and workshops that lack gardens or other buffer zones between building and street. Even in these cramped circumstances, residents of the shitamachi create beauty, lining the curbs with flowerpots and other small decorations that make for atmospheric strolling. The shitamachi neighborhoods of Yanaka and Ningyocho are good places to immerse yourself in this retro atmosphere. Monjayaki being cooked on a judge a book by its cover here, because I've sometimes described monja's liquid mix of cabbage, dashi, and flour as looking like vomit on a hot plate. I swear it's actually quite tasty, and scooping it straight from the griddle to your mouth with the tiny metal spatula provided tickles the childish desire to play with your food. The island of Tsukishima in eastern Tokyo is the place to try this quirky dish as there are about 80 specialty restaurants clustered on one lantern-lit street. Venerable Moheji has four stores there, so you can nearly always find a seat for their signature mentaiko and mochi version. Interior of a public bath in Tokyo, Japan. Oleksandr Rupeta/NurPhoto via Getty Images Bathing culture is big in Japan, and before most houses had indoor plumbing, people got sudsy at the public bath or sento . These neighborhood businesses are undergoing a minor renaissance today, still frequented by local grannies and grandpas for whom it's a social center but also increasingly by young people drawn by the retro design. For the old-school experience, try Takenoyu. For something a bit more polished, try recently renovated Komaeyu, which has added craft beer and tacos to the experience. An exhibit inside the Meguro Parasitological Museum in Tokyo. Lars Nicolaysen/picture alliance via Getty Images There's plenty for the art lover in Tokyo, from the classic grandeur of the Tokyo National Museum and the other old-school facilities around Ueno Park to the sleek new teamLab digital art spaces. There are also some really niche museums where a curator has followed their passion to the nth degree, like the Small Worlds Miniature Museum, where entire real-world neighborhoods and even Kansai Airport are recreated in minute detail with moving parts, or the ick-inducing but fascinating Meguro Parasitological Museum. Tokyo has museums dedicated to kites, tattoos, love dolls, printing technology, luggage, children's games, and more. You'll definitely learn something, even if it's just about the power of obsession. Shohei Ohtani up to bat as the Dodgers play in the MLB Tokyo Series. Japanese baseball is a can't-miss cultural experience thanks to the enthusiastic cheering section at games. These die-hard fans memorize songs, dances, and individual cheers for each player to keep the energy high, and their antics are at least as interesting as the action on the field. The greater Tokyo area is home to five teams, so there's almost always a game on—and you might even see the next Shohei Ohtani. Participants enjoying a sake brewery a drink brewed from rice, water, and koji mold, is not only the national drink of Japan but also a staple of Japanese cooking. Learn more about how an infinite complexity of brews is coaxed out of those three simple ingredients by touring a brewery. While Tokyo isn't known as a sake production area, breweries Toshimaya and Ozawa operate in the western suburbs and offer tours and tastings with reservations. A person pouring tea into a tea cup next to a plate filled with small tea is huge in Tokyo, with diners shelling out nearly 90 billion yen each year to nibble scones and petit-fours. That means hotels go all-out to capture a slice of that market, offering regularly changing seasonal sets in plush lounges with enviable views. Some of my favorite venues are Janu Tokyo's outdoor garden terrace, where Tokyo Tower dominates the scene, and the sky-high lounge at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, whose classic elegance and endless scones keep me coming back.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Throat singing duo PIQSIQ celebrates Inuit culture at Japanese festival
Yellowknife-based throat singing duo PIQSIQ says performing for Japanese fans was a unique celebration of Inuit culture and finding similarities between Arctic and Japanese traditions. Sisters Inuksuk Mackay and Tiffany Ayalik performed in Osaka in June as part of the World Expo. "The culture is so generous and so respectful and open, and it just felt like we were able to talk about our culture and what it's like to be Inuk and living in the North, and a little bit about history in a way that was really celebrating," Ayalik said. "Sometimes when we talk about culture here, there's just like a different context in Canada, and it's always about reconciliation and it can be really heavy." The pair said that travelling to Japan is something they've dreamed of since childhood, and they got to share it with their family as well. Mackay's husband and sons travelled with PIQSIQ to perform demonstrations of Inuit games. Mackay said that some audience members had visited the Arctic or read up on Inuit culture and had lots of questions for them about life in the North. "So that was really cool to know that across the world, there were people who were really interested in culture," she said. Mackay said there were lots of commonalities between Inuit and Japanese cultures too, like respect for elders and children and the value they both place on culture itself. Beyond their performances, the sisters and their family spent time exploring a new country. They said visiting Nara, a city known in part for its temples and the deer that roam around, was one highlight. Ayalik says sharing that with family up North made her laugh. "I sent videos to other family in Nunavut and they're just like 'this food is just walking around,'" she said. The pair said the experience is one they won't soon forget. They hope one day to come back and travel to the north of Japan to collaborate with Ainu singers, a traditional Japanese music. And if it's up to her family, Mackay says that trip could happen before long. "My sons are already trying to learn Japanese on Duolingo," she said.
Washington Post
4 hours ago
- Washington Post
Japan's emperor begins a weeklong visit to Mongolia that will honor POWs
TOKYO — Japan's Emperor Naruhito began a weeklong visit to Mongolia on Sunday during which he plans to honor thousands of Japanese prisoners of World War II who were held under harsh conditions in the country. Naruhito's visit marks the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. In recent years, he has toured some of the places where the bloodiest battles and bombings occurred, including Iwo Jima , Okinawa and Hiroshima. The emperor has said it's part of his effort at atonement and remembrance of the tragedy of war fought in the name of his grandfather, Emperor Hirohito.
