'Doomsday' Rumor from Viral Manga Alarms Japan
Light House Denver – A viral Japanese manga titled The Future I Saw has become a hot topic on social media due to its doomsday prediction. The widespread rumors surrounding the manga are now having real-world consequences, particularly on Japan’s tourism sector.
Japan recorded an all-time high of 3.9 million visitors in April 2025, the largest monthly figure in its history. However, this enthusiasm began to wane in May. The latest data shows that tourist arrivals from Hong Kong dropped by 11% compared to the same period last year.
Several airlines, including Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines, have canceled flights to Japan due to declining demand. Flights to Tokushima, in western Japan, are scheduled to be suspended indefinitely starting in September.
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Steve Huen from EGL Tours, a Hong Kong-based travel agency, said that demand for trips to Japan has dropped significantly. He pointed to the spread of doomsday rumors on social media, linked to the manga’s prediction of a massive earthquake and tsunami in July 2025, as a key factor fueling public concern.
“These rumors have had a significant impact on travelers’ decisions,” Huen told Reuters.
Some travelers admitted they are now hesitant to visit Japan in the near future. Branden Choi, a Hong Kong resident who frequently travels to Japan, said he is considering postponing his trip until after September.
Ryo Tatsuki, the manga artist behind The Future I Saw, has denied being a prophet. He emphasized that the manga should not be taken as a definitive prediction. However, the manga’s first edition did attract attention for depicting a disaster similar to the massive earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis that actually struck Japan in March 2011.
Some people now believe that the latest edition predicts a major disaster on July 5, 2025, though Tatsuki has strongly dismissed this interpretation.
Professor Robert Geller, a seismologist at the University of Tokyo, stated that predictions like these have no scientific foundation. “In my entire scientific career, I’ve never encountered a prediction that comes even remotely close to being accurate,” he said.
Although Japan is indeed located in a highly earthquake-prone region, there is currently no scientific evidence supporting the occurrence of a major disaster as described in the manga. Still, the power of rumors appears to be strongly influencing people’s decisions.
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