A decades-old manga titled The Future I Saw by Ryo Tatsuki (first published 1999, reprinted in 2021) has suddenly sparked widespread anxiety in Japan. The manga allegedly foretells a “megaquake” and a tsunami up to three times larger than the 2011 Great East Japan Disaster, predicted to strike on July 5, 2025. This dramatic prophecy has gone viral on social media, especially in Hong Kong, prompting many people to believe disaster is imminent—despite a total lack of scientific evidence.
Public & Travel Sector Reactions
The foreboding content has had tangible effects: tourist bookings from Hong Kong plunged by 11% in May, and airlines such as HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines have reduced or canceled flights to southern Japan due to low demand. Tour operators even started slashing tour package prices by 10–20% to attract hesitant customers. As one Hong Kong traveler put it:
“It is better to believe it exists than to believe it does not exist … There’s no need to risk one’s life.”
Official Response & Scientific Rebuttal
Japanese authorities swiftly moved to quell the wave of panic. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) emphasized that precise earthquake predictions—down to date and location—are scientifically impossible. The Director-General underscored this as “regrettable” in the modern age of science. Likewise, government spokespeople urged reliance on credible scientific sources and dismissed the tsunami warnings in the manga as unfounded.
Cultural Context & Why It Matters
The manga initially drew attention because its earlier edition appeared to “predict” the 2011 Tōhoku quake—but experts swiftly pointed out that this aligns with general fears, not prophecy. Despite that, its dramatic imagery—a tsunami triple the size of 2011—has captured imaginations and fueled fear.
Japan experiences around 1,500 tremors yearly (about 20% of the world’s ≥6 magnitude quakes), and an 80% likelihood of a Nankai Trough megaquake in the next 30 years, but there is no indication a major quake will occur in early July.
Broader Impacts & Takeaways
Economically, the scare has affected tourism—especially from Hong Kong—and local businesses are responding with discounts and flexible bookings. Culturally, the incident highlights how fiction blended with fear can sway public behavior, even in a disaster-aware nation like Japan.
Final Thoughts
The manga has reignited old fears and caused real-world consequences, with travel disruptions and economic ripple effects. Yet, there is no scientific justification for expecting an earthquake or tsunami on July 5. Japanese officials urge the public to trust established seismological bodies like JMA and ignore fictional omens. Japan remains seismically active, but panic rooted in horror manga—no matter how vivid—should not override science and preparedness.
