Manga doomsday prediction spooks tourists to Japan
FILE PHOTO: A sales banner written by the store reading 'Whether you believe it or not is up to you' is displayed next to the comic book titled 'The Future I saw', authored by manga artist Ryo Tatsuki, on the shelf at the book store Village Vanguard in Tokyo, Japan June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo
TOKYO/HONG KONG - 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".
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July
Singapore Over 40% of Singaporean seniors have claimed SG60 vouchers: Low Yen Ling
Asia 4 dead, 38 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali
Singapore $1.46b nickel-trading scam: Ng Yu Zhi's bid for bail midway through trial denied by High Court
Singapore Pedestrian-only path rules to be enforced reasonably; focus on errant cyclists: Baey Yam Keng
Singapore Jail for 'sugar daddy' who gave minor cash for sex, threatened to post her explicit videos online
Singapore Train service resumes across Bukit Panjang LRT line after power fault led to 3-hour disruption
Singapore Is using Gen AI for schoolwork and tests cheating?
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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Stranded UK F-35 jet becomes unexpected star in Indian tourism campaign
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Fishermen travel in a boat in the tributary waters of the Periyar River at Munambam on the outskirts of Kochi in the southern state of Kerala, India, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Sivaram V/File Photo NEW DELHI - India's southern state of Kerala has found a unique ambassador to promote its coconut palm-lined beaches, backwaters and vibrant culture to tourists - a British F-35 fighter jet that has been stranded there since mid-June. The Royal Navy aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at the airport of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram on June 14 and has been grounded ever since, despite efforts to repair it. An AI-generated image of the stealth aircraft parked on the tarmac surrounded by coconut trees has gone viral after it was shared by Kerala's tourism department on Wednesday. "This was part of our tourism campaign. It has been one of the most innovative and eye-catching ones... It's all in good humour and creativity," Biju K., Kerala's tourism secretary, told Reuters. In the viral social media post, originally created by entertainment website The Fauxy, the jet can be seen giving the state of Kerala five golden stars, calling it "an amazing place". "I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend," the image quotes the jet as saying. "Though tourism is under the government, it has moved out of government space in promoting the destination," said Roy Mathew, director of Stark Communications, the tourism department's brand promotion agency. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches a new innovation centre here Asia US tariff deal provides relief for Vietnam, and a sting in the tail for China Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations Singapore Electrician who bit off part of coworker's ear during fight gets 6 months' jail Asia 4 dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali Kerala is among India's most popular tourist destinations, and markets itself with the tagline 'God's own country'. Last year, 22.2 million tourists visited the state. It boasts natural beauty along India's south-western coastline and a rich heritage of classical dances, temple festivals and vibrant cuisine. The Indian Air Force said last month it would help in the repair and return of the F-35, which made an emergency landing on June 14 when it was flying over the Arabian Sea off Kerala's coast. A British High Commission spokesperson told Reuters the UK had accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport. The jet will be moved to the hangar once engineering teams arrive from the UK with specialist equipment, the spokesperson added. The Royal Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. UK's Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard said in Parliament on Monday that a Royal Air Force crew were in Thiruvananthapuram and working with Indian counterparts. REUTERS
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Tadej Pogacar seeks century as Tour de France returns to its roots
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox PARIS – The Tour de France embarks on July 5 with superstar Tadej Pogacar's hunger for wins sharing top billing with the magnificent 3,338-kilometre route in the first edition since 2020 not to venture abroad. After starts in Florence, Bilbao and Copenhagen, cycling's most prestigious race returns to its roots with an old school itinerary favouring climbers. 'We decided to bring the Tour home, it was high time after all the foreign starts,' said race director Christian Prudhomme. Every inch of this year's 21-day course is on French soil, for the first time since the pandemic-delayed edition, with most of the country placed on a heatwave alert in the week leading up to the race. Temperatures in the south of France topped 40 degrees Celsius last weekend, with large swathes of the country bracing for similar conditions in the coming days. The heatwave is expected to subside by the end of the week, but riders will still be tested to their limits over the peaks and plains of France lauded in cycling folklore as 'the world's most beautiful stadium'. 'Great settings for great heroes,' said Prudhomme, a former TV executive who has transformed the race into a global extravaganza broadcast in 190 countries. For 21 days this July, the daily doings of this most arduous of sporting struggles provides the drumbeat of summer, with armchair tourists and cycling fanatics alike tuning in around the world. Team UAE's Pogacar starts as red-hot favourite with fans and bookmakers alike, and he can silence any remaining doubters by beating arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard of Visma. American former champion Greg LeMond told AFP in a recent interview it would be a close call. 'Pogacar is like the one in a million, but you can't count Vingegaard out. That's what's making cycling so exciting right now,' said LeMond, who won the Tour de France in 1986, 1989 and 1990. Glimpses of Pogacar and Vingegaard going head-to-head on the Alpine slopes or along the panoramic roads of the French Riviera provide tension, drama and sporting rivalry as enthralling as any involving the old-time legends. Ready to attack at the slightest provocation, the 26-year-old Pogacar has 21 chances to add to his jaw-dropping 99 professional wins. Vingegaard tends to focus on a single-mission strategy, awaiting one big moment to spring a deeply considered killer move at a meticulously chosen spot. Vingegaard's Visma team boss Grischa Niermann confirmed this week he believed in the plan he has made for the Tour de France. 'We think we can get the best possible result,' he said. The pair have won the past five editions of the Tour de France between them and should be increasingly in the spotlight as the race advances. A total of 184 riders from 23 teams will gather in Lille for the Grand Depart, with local authorities preparing for a massive influx of fans from nearby cycling-mad Belgium. And aggressive, hotly contested battles for the right to the overall leader's yellow jersey are expected in the opening stages, as are huge roadside crowds of several hundred thousand each day. Belgian star Remco Evenepoel will be well supported as the first week takes in the north coast at Dunkirk and Caen, scenes of ferocious fighting in World War II, before shifting to another cycling heartland in Brittany with its verdant, rolling roads. The volcanoes of the Puy de Dome present the first mountains as late as stage 10, with two more colossal climb days in the Pyrenees before the blockbuster final week in the Alps. But before any dash towards the eventual finish line on the Champs-Elysees there is one final twist. A last-minute addition to the 2025 route is a nod to the 2024 Olympic Games road race, which drew vast crowds to the old Parisian neighbourhood of Montmartre. On the final day a cauldron of noise up the narrow cobbled climb to the Sacre-Coeur Basilica provides one final obstacle, after which the winner will be crowned. AFP
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Taking a break, Pope Leo revives centuries-old tradition
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy - Pope Leo will revive a centuries-old tradition on Sunday by taking a holiday at Castel Gandolfo, where residents of the lakeside town hope for a tourism boost after the late Pope Francis shunned taking a summer break. Leo, elected pope on May 8 after the death of Francis, will spend July 6-20 an hour's drive south of Rome in the sleepy hill town of about 8,900 residents on the shores of Lake Albano. The town's mayor and business owners hope his stay - the first by a pope in 12 years - will attract tourists hoping to see the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The Vatican has owned a papal palace in the town, including vast Renaissance-style gardens, since 1596, but Francis, who shunned much of the pomp and privilege of the papacy, chose not to take vacations, spending the summer in his Vatican residence. "Pope Leo has given us a wonderful gift," Stefano Carosi, the owner of a coffee shop on the town's main square, said. "The pope has always been important here ... because he attracts people." Mayor Alberto De Angelis said residents were excited about the visit. "The presence of the popes in Castel Gandolfo has always meant a lot of activity, a lot of economic growth," he said. While Leo is expected to spend most of his vacation out of the public eye, staying in a Vatican-owned building behind a gated wall, residents and tourists will have the opportunity to see him at religious celebrations on July 13 and 20. Dozens of popes have spent the summer months at Castel Gandolfo, where it is cooler than in Rome, which has been sweltering in an early summer heatwave with temperatures reaching more than 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit). FRANCIS LEFT 'LONG-LASTING' MUSEUM LEGACY Francis had Castel Gandolfo's papal palace turned into a museum and opened the gardens to visitors. Leo will not stay at the palace and the museum will remain open to the public, instead staying at another Vatican property. Although Francis never spent the night in Castel Gandolfo, residents said his decision to open the museum has had long-lasting benefits. Marina Rossi, owner of a mosaic studio in the town, said tourists used to come only in the summer to see the pope at one of his audiences, but now they came more frequently. "It was more of a hit-and-run tourism, because there was the audience and then they would leave," she said. "Now there is a steady flow of tourism throughout the whole year." Now, with Leo coming back, said Rossi, it gave the town the chance to attract even more tourists. "It's an important moment," she said. "I won't hide my happiness." As for what Leo might do during his vacation, Maurizio Carosi, brother of Stefano, had a suggestion, saying he'd tell the pope: "If you want a good glass of wine, come visit with me!" REUTERS
