A "disaster prophecy" from a comic book has sparked viral rumors in and outside Japan, taking the sheen off of Japan's tourism boom.
The so-called comic book "prophecy" has gone viral on social media, particularly in Hong Kong, though less so in Japan, leading to growing anxiety and speculation of impending disaster, supposedly meant to hit on July 5.
"I first heard about it last year, it just felt like an urban legend, so I did not take it seriously and just thought it is 'interesting'," said a student in Tokyo.
"My friends actually talked [about it] like a joke before I came here in late June. They said, in early July there is going to be an earthquake, something like a huge disaster like that happening in early July. I said well, it would be good if the technology is good enough to predict this kind of disaster two weeks earlier. Again, I took it as a joke. Today it’s July 5, the day it's (supposed to be) happening, and we are all walking here, and nothing has happened,” said a tourist visiting Tokyo from Shanghai, China.
Some airlines are canceling flights from Hong Kong, where passengers' numbers have plunged. There are also reports of airline and hotel cancellations in June.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, inbound tourists from Hong Kong dipped by 11.2 percent in May.
Metrological experts said it is impossible to predict earthquakes and advise the public not to take the rumors seriously.
Still, the recent swarm of earthquakes in Kagoshima Prefecture in southwestern Japan are fueling new concerns and speculations.
Ryo Tatsuki, the artist behind the manga titled The Future I Saw, has also tried to dampen the speculation, saying in a statement issued by her publisher that she is "not a prophet".
Coincidentally, The Future I Saw was first published in July 1999. Nostradamus made famously made a doomsday prediction, warning future generations of a King of Terror descending from the skies in the seventh month in 1999.
"Disaster prophecy" in Japan sparks rumors, temporarily harms tourism
"Disaster prophecy" in Japan sparks rumors, temporarily harms tourism
