The Chinese embassy in Tokyo appears to have inadvertently exacerbated concerns about the possibility of a major earthquake occurring in Japan this summer – drawing attention to previous rumours of a natural disaster and persuading some travellers to cancel their plans to visit.
The rumours are the result of predictions from a Japanese manga and a Hong Kong feng shui master that have given rise to extensive – and unfounded – claims on social media.
In a post on its website on April 14, the Chinese embassy cautioned citizens visiting or living in Japan to take precautions against natural disasters. It also told Chinese nationals to register with the embassy and be careful when making plans to travel or study in Japan, as well as with property purchases.
The warning came after a Japanese government report on March 31 about the threat posed by a possible major quake in the Nankai Trough, a 900km (560-mile) fault that runs parallel to the coast off southern Japan.
Though sensible, the post coincided with social-media rumours of an earthquake that will strike Japan in July, fed by the manga and feng shui master’s predictions.
The manga at the centre of the earthquake buzz on social media is Watashi ga Mita Mirai, Kanzenban (The future that I saw, complete edition).
