Despite the July 5 prophecy proving false, the impact on regional tourism has been all too real for Takamatsu Airport in Kagawa Prefecture
At a meeting of the Takamatsu Airport Utilisation Review Council on Monday, officials said the number of passengers flying from Hong Kong to the airport had plunged following rumours of a “megaquake” and had yet to recover, according to local broadcaster KSB. None of the flights suspended before July have been restored.
The rumours stem from The Future I Saw, a cult manga by artist Ryo Tatsuki. A 2021 revision of the book, first published in 1999, predicted a “megaquake” would hit Japan on July 5 this year.
The forecast gained traction because Tatsuki had previously warned of a major disaster in March 2011 – a date that coincided with the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan’s Tohoku region.
Why a viral manga warning of a megaquake has some travellers cancelling Japan trips
