Latest news with #JapanTourism
Reuters
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Manga doomsday prediction spooks tourists to Japan
TOKYO/HONG KONG, July 3 (Reuters) - 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.
Fox News
19-06-2025
- Fox News
Tourism surge creates 'new challenge' as visitors transform Mt. Fuji into 'trash mountain'
Japan broke a record for tourism in 2024, with people from all over the world visiting the island nation. But the country has even bigger tourist goals for the years ahead. Hokuto Asano, first secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital in an interview that with the influx of tourists, the country is working to meet demand. (See the video at the top of this article.) "Overtourism is a new challenge for the Japanese community," said Asano. "So we need to pursue how to create a win-win relationship [between] Japanese local people and foreign tourists." News outlets have reported on a "two-tier" pricing system at restaurants, theme parks and other attractions, with tourists charged more for services and experiences than Japanese citizens are charged. "The price of the restaurant, sushi restaurant in Japan, even hotel — the price is also increasing," Asano said. "So Japanese people sometimes say [that] Japanese people cannot enjoy the domestic tourism." He added, "But there should be a difference in the taste or preference between Japan and Japanese people and international tourists. There should be a difference in the price and also product or service toward the international tourists." Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, nearly 33.4 million travelers visited Japan, according to the country's government site projections. Nearly three million Americans visited the country in 2024. Asano said the number of visitors last year ended up reaching 36 million and that Japan has a plan to nearly double the number of visitors in the next five years. "In 2030, we want [to reach] the goal of 60 million people," said Asano. The sacred Mount Fuji is climbed by 200,000 to 300,000 people every summer, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Lately, however, Mt. Fuji has been pegged "trash mountain" due to serious overcrowding and garbage atop the world-famous landmark. Asano said tourists have reported that there are not many trashcans in Japan — but he pointed to the limited number as a safety measure to "counter terrorism." "We need to share our manner[s] [with those who] visit tourist destinations," said Asano. "So we would like [them to] understand [about] bringing back his or her own trash," he said. Asano suggested that tourists need to be more respectful when visiting Japan. "We need to share our values with international tourists," he said. When it comes to tourists in Japan, it's not just about "the trip," he said. "It's a good means to share culture and values. We would like international tourists to know more [about] Japan in terms of culture or sacred places or specific places," he said. Asano added, "Maybe we can share how to enjoy those sacred places or share our tradition."
Japan Times
19-06-2025
- Japan Times
Foreign visitors to Japan at record high for May
The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in May jumped 21.5% from a year before to 3,693,300, a record high for the month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. The cumulative number of visitors from abroad in the first five months of 2025 came to a record 18,140,100, beating the previous record of 14,641,780 marked in the same period last year. The increase in visitors during May was driven by travelers from China, Taiwan and the United States, who visited Japan for holidays and on cruise ship port calls. The number of visitors from Hong Kong dropped 11.2% to 193,100 after rumors spread on social media that an earthquake might strike Japan. By country or region, the number of visitors from South Korea was the largest, at 825,800, up 11.8%; followed by 789,900 from mainland China, up 44.8%; 538,400 from Taiwan, up 15.5%; and 311,900 from the United States, up 26.3%. The number "fell only in Hong Kong," Naoya Haraikawa, commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, said at a news conference. Haraikawa said that JNTO's Hong Kong office is already calling on people via social media to make travel decisions based on scientific information from public institutions. He said that JNTO will strengthen information-sharing efforts if necessary. The estimated number of Japanese nationals traveling overseas rose 14.3% to 1,076,800 in May, reflecting a spike in travelers during a holiday period from late April to early May. But Japanese visitors to Thailand continued to decrease following a major earthquake in Myanmar in late March.
South China Morning Post
12-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Airlines cuts Japan routes over sluggish tourism and tremor concerns
Hong Kong Airlines is set to cancel flights to Kagoshima and Kumamoto in Japan in July and August, citing sluggish demand for tourism in the country, while flight schedules between the city and Nagoya will also be adjusted. The carrier announced the flight adjustments on Thursday amid growing concerns about a long-feared megaquake predicted to hit Japan. The airline said affected passengers could rebook to other destinations, including other cities in Japan and mainland China, as well as Taipei, Bangkok and Da Nang. It added that those who choose to refund their tickets would receive compensation in the form of travel vouchers. 'We deeply apologise for the inconvenience caused by this flight adjustment and promise to do our best to assist affected passengers and provide proper travel arrangements,' it said. Kagoshima and Kumamoto are both popular tourist destinations. The former is often compared with its Italian sister city, Naples, with a mild climate, palm tree-lined streets and rumbling Mount Sakurajima, while the latter is famous for Kumamoto Castle, which is one of the country's largest and most complete.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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.'
