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Lorraine Chiang

Some Hongkongers pressed ahead with trips to Japan on Saturday morning despite “slight worries” about a widely discussed prediction of a “megaquake” hitting the country on July 5.
While travellers told the Post they would pay more attention to the local news, they acknowledged being unprepared for potential earthquakes.
“I felt a little uncomfortable at first, but my son and his wife had already got the tickets. It is a summer holiday for my grandson, so we seized the chance,” said Ho Wan-chan, a 73-year-old travelling to Nagoya.
The family was among the dozens of Hongkongers waiting to check in at the airport on Saturday morning.
They snatched up round-trip tickets that included one piece of luggage for each person for about HK$1,000 (US$127), which they described as “much cheaper” than usual.
Bonnie Lei, a 40-year-old teacher heading to Tokyo, said she was “slightly worried” about the earthquake because of the prediction.
But she said she eventually decided to go because of the discounts.
“However, we made zero preparations for the earthquake. The most we do is read the news more frequently,” Lei said.
Her family of four got their tickets during a sale in which they could buy one journey and get another one for free. It only cost them about HK$9,000 to visit both Japan and Vietnam.
“My family is not worried about the earthquakes in Kagoshima because we are not on that side,” Lei added.

Song Ci, a 24-year-old student, said she believed the chance of a megaquake was slim.
“I feel fine because I think the probability of an earthquake is not that big. Japanese society in general is also quite good at dealing with earthquakes,” she said.
She will stay in Osaka for a week and expects to spend around 2,000 yuan (US$279) for the trip.
In a previous edition of the manga The Future That I Saw, which was published in 1999, author Ryo Tatsuki wrote that there would be a “huge disaster” in March 2011. The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11 and claimed nearly 20,000 lives.
In the revised version of the manga published in 2021, she predicted that an even larger-scale quake was set to happen on July 5 this year.
Over the past two weeks, the Japan Meteorological Agency has recorded a series of more than 1,000 quakes in Kagoshima prefecture, leading to the evacuation of a village in the area.
As the Tohoku earthquake started with a series of small ones, many drew parallels between the last megaquake and the latest prediction by the manga artist.
But Japanese authorities have dismissed the claims, saying that earthquakes cannot be predicted accurately and can occur anywhere at any time.


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Hong Kong society

Hongkongers forge ahead with Japan travel amid July 5 ‘megaquake’ fears

Travellers at Hong Kong International Airport’s departure hall. Photo: Edmond So 

Bonnie Lei (centre) and her family are heading to Tokyo despite some “slight” worries. Photo: Edmond So 

Hong Kong tourists undeterred by manga prediction that quake will hit Japan on July 5

Hong Kong travel agencies have not recorded widespread cancellations of Japan-bound tour groups for the coming weekend, despite predictions of a mega-earthquake from manga. Photo: EPA-EFE 

Hong Kong travel agencies have predicted demand for group travel to Japan will continue to increase in the coming months. Photo: AFP

What you need to know about Hong Kong travel insurance if Japan trip is hit by earthquakes

Quake-damaged stone lanterns are examined at Udo Jingu shrine in Miyazaki prefecture. Photo: Kyodo

Selina Lau has urged travellers to check with their insurers if they have doubts about their policies. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Is Japanese manga ‘megaquake’ possible on July 5 or have Hongkongers lost plot?

Japanese people have encountered earthquakes all their lives and are well-prepared for them, an expert says. Photo: AFP

The manga’s predictions have sparked earthquake fears among some people. Photo: Handout/Asukashinsha

 It is impossible to predict the exact timing of an earthquake. Photo: Getty Images

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‘We made zero preparations for the earthquake. The most we do is read the news more frequently,’ tourist says


‘We made zero preparations for the earthquake. The most we do is read the news more frequently,’ tourist says.


Hongkongers forge ahead with Japan travel amid July 5 ‘megaquake’ fears

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}‘We made zero preparations for the earthquake. The most we do is read the news more frequently,’ tourist says

‘We made zero preparations for the earthquake. The most we do is read the news more frequently,’ tourist says