A major disaster warning from a manga artist and reported psychic has been blamed for a drop in holiday bookings to Japan. Ryo Tatsuki, often heralded as the country's answer to the Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga, is thought to have correctly predicted the 2011 Kobe earthquake in her 1999 book "The Future I Saw". The graphic novel, which was based on the Kanagawa-born author's "prophetic dreams", also warned of a "catastrophic" disaster striking Japan on July 5, 2025.

The premonition, which sparked calls on social media for holidaymakers to avoid the country, has made a major dent in Japan's summer tourism trade - frustrating local authorities, who have slammed them as "unfounded" rumours. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, holiday bookings from late June to early July from South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong have dropped by as much as 83%.

Greater Bay Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines have temporarily cut their flight schedules to Japan in response to the plummeting demand - in stark contrast to the country's generally strong post-COVID tourism economy, with a record 3.9 million people visiting in April.

While authorities may not be happy that psychic predictions are taking such a toll on Japan's economy, the suggestion that a major earthquake or tsunami could be on the way aren't without scientific precedent.

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, and a government taskforce warned in spring that there was an 80% chance of an up to magnitude-9 quake striking in the next 30 years - potentially killing just under 300,000 people and destroying over two million buildings.

Governor Yoshihiro Murai from the Miyagi Prefecture told Japanese media: "I think it's a major problem that this information, based on rather unscientific evidence, is spreading on social media and having an impact on tourism."

Governor Masazumi Gotoda of Tokushima Prefecture added: "There is no reason to worry because Japanese are not fleeing abroad ... I hope people will ignore the rumours and visit."

Tatuski herself has also urged people not to make major decisions based on her predictions alone. In a recent interview with the Mainichi Shimbun, she said: "It's important not to be unnecessarily influenced ... and to listen to the opinion of experts."