Mass tourism cancellations in Japan: Here’s the reason

Ryo Tatsuki, dubbed the new ‘Baba Vanga’ (a late mystic) has made a latest prediction that has shocked Japan and its tourism industry. She predicted that Japan would be awaiting a major disaster in July 2025. Her prediction has sparked mass cancellations of trips and bookings to Japan, causing severe losses to the tourism sector. Tatsuki, who makes predictions through her comic books, has been compared to Baba Vanga, a Bulgarian mystic and soothsayer who made predictions that shook the world.

Tatsuki grabbed global attention after making a few accurate predictions in the book ‘The Future I Saw’ published in 1999. She claims that she had correctly predicted the exact date and year of the deadly earthquake and tsunami that happened in the northern Tohoku region in Japan in March 2011. She also foresaw the Kobe earthquake in 1995 and the death of many celebrities, including the famous singer Freddie Mercury.

The new edition of this book, in which the New Baba Vanga predicts the disaster in July 2025, was published in 2021. CNN and other media organisations report that the book predicts the formation of a massive crack on the seabed between Japan and the Philippines, causing giant tsunami waves that are at least three times bigger than the Tohoku tsunami in 2011. Per her predictions, Japan's oceans will ‘boil’, which some interpret as an underwater volcanic eruption.

Meanwhile, Japan’s tourism industry took a hit after Tatsuki’s predictions grabbed headlines. Mass cancellations are reported in the tourism sector. According to WWPKG, a travel agency based in Hong Kong, the cancellation rates were as high as 50 per cent during the Easter holidays. Experts assume that the cancellation rate will further increase as the date of Ryo Tatsuki’s prediction approaches. Meanwhile, airline companies, hotels, and tour operators are bracing for apparent financial losses.

The advisory issued by the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo has also created panic among people. An official statement released by the embassy in April 2025 warns Chinese citizens to be alert in case of any natural disaster. The recent earthquakes in some of the coastal regions in Japan and the increased volcanic activities have reportedly prompted the Chinese embassy to issue an advisory to its citizens. However, many see this statement as a partial nod to Ryo Tatsuki’s predictions. Meanwhile, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) hasn’t issued any specific forecasts for July 2025.