Ryo Tatsuki detailed the visions that she had in her 1999 book called The Future I Saw
A recent prophecy made by a woman many are calling the ‘new Baba Vanga’ has had a surprising impact on tourism in parts of Asia. One country in particular has seen a significant dip in travel bookings as a result.
Baba Vanga, whose full name was Vangeliya Pandeva Gushterova, was a mystic from Bulgaria known for her eerie predictions. Some believe she accurately foresaw a number of major global events.
She is said to have predicted things like Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997 and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, among several others.
Although Baba Vanga passed away in 1996, many people now believe that a new voice from Japan is stepping into her shoes with equally chilling forecasts.
That person is Ryo Tatsuki, a former manga artist turned fortune teller. She says she has been having vivid dreams since the 1980s, and these dreams have served as the source of her predictions.
One of her most well-known and reportedly accurate predictions was about a disaster in March 2011. That just so happened to be when Japan experienced a massive earthquake and tsunami in the northern Tohoku area.
That tragic disaster claimed more than 18,000 lives, leaving a devastating mark on Japan’s history.
The people of Japan endured a deadly earthquake in 2011
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Now, Tatsuki has warned of another troubling event that she believes could happen soon—on July 5, to be exact.
She says she dreamed of the ocean “boiling” just south of Japan. This imagery has stirred up anxiety, with many thinking it could point to an underwater volcanic eruption.
Some are interpreting her vision as a warning of a massive tsunami being triggered by this potential event.
According to Tatsuki’s prediction, the tsunami wouldn’t just affect Japan. She believes it could spread destruction across a wide area including Taiwan, Indonesia, and even the Northern Mariana Islands.
This dramatic forecast has clearly rattled people. Cities in Japan, especially Kagoshima and Kumamoto, have seen tourism numbers drop sharply as travelers reconsider their plans.
Tourists canceling holidays
In an interview with CNN, CN Yuen, who runs the Hong Kong travel agency WWPKG, explained that interest in trips to Japan dropped off noticeably around Easter. He noted that bookings had fallen by half, and the downward trend hasn’t improved since then.
To make matters worse, a safety alert from the Chinese embassy in Tokyo earlier this year, which mentioned the risk of natural disasters, added even more concern for travelers.
Bloomberg Intelligence reported that flight bookings to Japan between late June and early July are down by around 50 percent, reflecting how far-reaching the fears have become.
Kumamoto in Japan
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Airlines cutting flights
With growing worries about a possible massive earthquake in southern Japan, Hong Kong Airlines has experienced fewer people buying tickets for that region.
In response, the airline is planning to reduce its flights to Kagoshima and Kumamoto for both July and August. This was shared in a news report from news.com.au.
“We deeply apologise for the inconvenience caused by this flight adjustment and promise to do our best to assist affected passengers and provide proper travel arrangements.” Hong Kong Airlines said.
Hong Kong Airlines have canceled flights
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The airline mentioned that travelers who are affected by the flight cancellations won’t be left stranded. They’ll be allowed to rebook their trips to other destinations within Japan and even to places in China.
For those looking to switch things up entirely, there are options like Da Nang in Vietnam, the vibrant city of Bangkok in Thailand, or Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.
The science behind it
Yoshihiro Murai, the governor of Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture, has pushed back against the predictions found in Tatsuki’s 1999 comic book titled The Future I Saw, which includes several unusual dreams she claimed to have had.
In a press briefing held back in April, he stated: “It’s a serious issue when unscientific claims spread on social media and impact tourism.”
“Japanese people aren’t fleeing the country, so I want to reassure everyone to please visit Japan with peace of mind.”