Japan airport still reeling from loss of tourists after manga’s quake prediction
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.
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KSB reported that arrivals from Hong Kong to Takamatsu Airport fell 31 per cent in May from the previous month to 2,865 passengers, and the decline continued through June and July.
Takamatsu Airport president Yoshiki Obata said the downturn had also affected flights from South Korea and mainland China, and warned the slump could drag on if concerns persisted.