How a comic book prediction has affected tourism

A really interesting piece in 'The Guardian' which looks at a manga comic published years ago, which is apparently impacting on visitor numbers.

'The Future I Saw' was published in 1999.

Flight reservations to Japan from some of its key tourism markets have reportedly plummeted, with some linking the fall to The Future I Saw, a Japanese graphic novel based on the “prophetic” dreams of its author, Ryo Tatsuki.

The cover of the original, published in 1999, refers to a “great disaster” occurring in March 2011 – the date Japan experienced a deadly earthquake and tsunami. 

In a new edition containing additional material that was published in 2021, Tatsuki said the next major disaster would occur on 5 July 2025. Her claim has fuelled sensationalist social media posts warning people to stay away from Japan.

Tatsuki, meanwhile, has warned people not to take her predictions literally. In a recent interview with the Mainichi Shimbun, the artist said she was pleased that her work had raised awareness of the need to prepare for natural disasters, but added: “It’s important not to be unnecessarily influenced … and to listen to the opinions of experts.”

Thanks to Alice Griffiths for the link here.