With only one day before the so -called “doomsday” expected in a Japanese manga, anxiety is ripply imposing both in the social media sectors and in the real world in Japan. The manga in question, which is “The future I saw” By Ryo Tatsuki, not only did he become viral, but also caused a significant embodity in tourism and the public feeling of Japan.
Tourism is successful while the locals
Originally published in 1999 and reprinted in 2021, “The future I saw” He tells a dream that includes a huge earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and his neighbors on July 5, 2025. While Tatsuki has moved away from the claims of prophetic powers, publicly affirming that it is “Not a prophet”The extraordinary accuracy of his previous “forecast” of the March 2011 disaster fueled a vortex of speculation and fear.
The impact of the item was particularly serious in the tourism sector. Egl Tours, a travel agency based in Hong Kong, recorded a 50% drop in reservations in Japan. “The voices had a significant impact”, Steve Huen, representative of the company, said. In the meantime, the airline Budget Greater Bay Airlines has also announced the cancellation of the routes to Tokushima, citing the collapse application.
It seems that promotional offers and earthquake insurance have not been enough to restore the trust among the wary travelers.
In addition, among tourists currently in Japan, fear is still palpable. Serena Peng, a visitor of Seattle, shared outside the Tokyo sense-ji temple, “I’m not super worried right now, but I was before.”
In the meantime, the reactions to Japan have gone from sarcastic humor to gloomy resignations. Some online users derive the predictions of the manga, with an observation, “If this time he is right, I will believe them. Otherwise, he can disappear.”
Still, “The future I saw” It remains a bestseller with over 1 million copies sold, even if Tatsuki takes a step back from the dispute.
Earthquakes and anxiety
Japan is exactly on the Pacific fire ring, an area famous for seismic activity. In the last few days, over 900 minor tremors have been recorded in southern Kyushu, strengthening public concerns.
However, the experts remain still. Professor Robert Geller, seismologist of the University of Tokyo, rejected any scientific basis for these forecasts, stating that no forecast of the earthquake, even those with a scientific basis, has ever been accurate in his life.
Despite expert insurance, fear is amplified by the Asian experts of Feng Shui, some of which include a large earthquake between June and August. This is further complicated by the official warnings of the government on the Nankai earthquake, which, although foreseen within decades, adds weight to an already nervous audience.
In fact, the purchase of panic, in particular of rice and emergency assets, has increased in response to past warnings, highlighting how sensitive the audience to speculation is in case of catastrophe.
Local leaders expressed concern for viral panic. The governor of Miyagi Yoshihiro Murai labeled the voices a real problem, while the governor of Tokushima Masazumi Gooda reminded the public that natural disasters can take place at any time, everywhere.
As Bloomberg’s editorialist Gearid Reidy said, the real lesson here does not concern a prophecy of comics, but the reminder that in Japan the next great disaster is not a question of “se”, but “when”.
