The effect of predictions on possible natural disasters is once again at the center of news in Japan, where a mixture of fear, tradition, and popular credulity is generating significant social and economic consequences. In recent days, anxiety and uncertainty have gripped a large part of the population and foreign visitors, following a warning of a large tsunami planned in a well-known Japanese manga.
The sudden drop in tourist bookings In certain emblematic areas of Japan, this has surprised both local authorities and international travel agencies. It is estimated that reservations have dropped by up to 50%, a devastating fact that is not associated with war conflicts or price increases, but rather with a prediction published decades ago whose echo has recently been revived.
The manga that predicts disasters and sows fear
To understand the origin of this wave of cancellations and fear, we must go back to 1999. That year it was published in Japan 'The Future I Saw' by Ryo Tatsuki, an author who captured scenes inspired by premonitory dreams in its pages. Although it went relatively unnoticed outside of fan circles at the time, the truth is that the manga has gained prestige and notoriety as some of the predictions described there have supposedly come true.
Among Tatsuki's most talked about successes are: Great Japanese earthquake of 2011, the 2020 global health pandemic, and the death dates of such well-known figures as Princess Diana and Freddie Mercury. This has fueled a wave of followers convinced of the veracity of the author's visions, making each new prediction especially followed and feared.
Supertsunami in the summer of 2025: tourism on alert
What is now causing fear in Japanese and Asian society is the prediction of a super tsunami that, according to the manga, would occur this summer off the coast of Japan, with a magnitude greater than that of previous events. Although seismologists and experts have long warned about the possibility of a major earthquake in the region, Tatsuki's narrative has become embedded in the collective imagination in an unusual way, to the point of influencing the travel plans and hotel activity.
The fear that the prediction will materialize The storm has spread beyond Japan's borders, particularly affecting tourists from mainland China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Vietnam. In these countries, various videos and social media posts are urging them to avoid Japan in the coming months to avoid the threat of a disaster.
A domino effect in the tourism industry
The impact of these predictions is not limited to rumors or comments on social media. International travel agencies themselves have reported a sharp decline. in bookings. According to the managing director of a major Hong Kong-based agency, bookings to Japan fell by half during Holy Week, and the trend is bearish for the following months.
The figures are so striking that even Japanese authorities have issued statements urging calm and reminding everyone that there is no conclusive scientific evidence to support the imminence of the disaster predicted in the manga. However, the perception of risk is a difficult factor to combat, especially when popular beliefs are echoed by previous real-life events.
Predictions, culture, and misinformation: an explosive combination
Japanese culture has a long tradition of stories and beliefs about the future.This isn't the first time a manga or fictional product has set the social agenda, although in this case the context of global uncertainty seems to have amplified its effect. The viral spread of fears, coupled with the coincidence of past predictions that are interpreted as accurate, has given rise to a phenomenon where the line between information, beliefs, and misinformation has become blurred.
Meanwhile, the tourism sector is trying to weather the storm. And authorities are reinforcing their messages of reassurance. We will need to continue paying attention to the evolution of these predictions and their actual influence on travel decisions, as well as to the role that communication can play in preventing similar crises of confidence in the future.
