Is the future I see in comics becoming reality? Why do internet rumors shake the tourism and aviation industries?

Recently, the prophecy in the Japanese manga "The Future I Saw" (私が見た未来) about a severe earthquake and tsunami occurring on July 5, 2025, has been widely circulated on social media and the internet. According to Japanese media reports, although this is just a plot in a fictional work, it has intensified public panic due to the strained associations made by a Feng Shui master from Hong Kong, leading many tourists from Hong Kong and Taiwan to cancel their trips to Japan, causing a significant impact on Japan's tourism industry and airlines.

Manga artist Ryuju Ryo personally debunks rumors.

The author of the manga "The Future I Saw", Ryō Tatsuki, who is 72 years old, recently made a special statement to Japanese media, urging the public not to overinterpret the content of the manga. She emphasized that "The Future I Saw" is a work created based on her dreams, and stated that in the face of natural disasters, one should listen to expert advice and make proper scientific disaster preparedness.

Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai directly criticized the rumors as unscientific.

Multiple Japanese media outlets have reported that Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai stated that rumors regarding disaster predictions have affected local tourism, and that these rumors are very unscientific. Hong Kong's Greater Bay Area Airlines announced that from July 12 to October 25, it would reduce direct flights between Sendai and Tokushima. A representative from the airline said that according to their investigation, many travelers firmly believe in the online information, and in order to avoid low passenger rates, they have no choice but to painfully adjust the flight schedule.

People in Hong Kong and Taiwan are changing their plans due to believing in online rumors.

Hong Kong residents revealed to Japanese media that related news has been extensively reported in local media, almost "everyone knows" about it. Moreover, a famous feng shui master in Hong Kong also predicted that a major earthquake and tsunami would occur in Japan this summer, further fueling the spread of rumors. These scientifically unfounded messages spread rapidly through social media, affecting not only Hong Kong but also causing panic in online communities in Taiwan.

It is worth noting that Taiwan has also been affected by this wave of online rumors, with many travelers reporting to the media that social media platforms are circulating claims that "a disaster will occur in Japan on July 5," leading them to choose to cancel or postpone their trips, resulting in fluctuations in the travel market.

The survey indicates that half of the public completely trusts the information on the internet.

A recent survey released by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications indicated that nearly half of the Japanese public believes that the information they obtain from the internet or other platforms is "correct or possibly correct," and about a quarter of them would forward this information without verification. This shows that insufficient information literacy is one of the main reasons for the rapid spread of online rumors.

Throughout history, humans have often sought solace in prophecies and divinations when faced with an uncertain future. Some people firmly believe in predictions of apocalyptic disasters, reflecting anxiety and a sense of powerlessness regarding reality, which also fuels the development of cultures such as feng shui, astrology, and mysticism. However, when fictional stories are mistakenly believed to be real, they not only impact social order but can also lead to industrial losses. The prophecy of the "July 5th Great Disaster in Japan" has been excessively sensationalized on the internet, coupled with a high acceptance of metaphysical culture among some people in Hong Kong and Taiwan, which has intensified the development of the event, prompting even the manga authors to clarify the situation personally.

The future I see is like a mirror revealing the chaotic scenes of the apocalypse. Natural disasters have not yet occurred, but people's hearts are already in turmoil, even shaking the tourism markets of Hong Kong and Taiwan. This incident highlights the importance of strengthening the public's "media and information literacy." In the flood of information where true and false are hard to distinguish, only by enhancing one's ability to discern online information and treating online discourse with caution can we avoid unnecessary panic and losses caused by rumors. When facing the risks of natural disasters, we should focus more on scientific disaster prevention rather than being obsessed with apocalyptic prophecies.

Does this article foretell the future of comics coming true? A casual discussion on why internet rumors can shake the tourism and aviation industries, first appeared in Chain News ABMedia.