Japanese manga artist urges calm over viral 2025 earthquake prediction

The author behind The Future I Saw, a manga that famously predicted Japan's 2011 earthquake disaster, has responded to growing panic over another prophecy in her book - a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami forecast for July 5, 2025. The speculation has led to a decline in tourism bookings and even prompted airlines to reduce flights to Japan.

Ryo Tatsuki, the 70-year-old manga artist, urged calm in a written statement to Japanese news agency The Mainichi, emphasizing she maintains an "entirely objective stance" on the matter.

While acknowledging the heightened public awareness as a positive sign of growing disaster preparedness, she cautioned against overinterpretation.

"People should make their own judgments," she said, "but it's crucial to avoid excessive speculation and instead rely on expert opinions for appropriate action."

Her publisher, Asuka Shinsha, clarified that the book - originally released in 1999 and reprinted in 2001 - documents Tatsuki’s precognitive dreams and was never intended to incite fear.

"We believe in addressing potential disasters seriously and heeding professional advice," the company stated.

The manga’s eerie accuracy gained fame after its depiction of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami matched real events.

Its latest prophecy describes a vision where a massive quake triggers Japan’s partial submersion and reshapes coastlines, linking Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

One passage reads: "I dreamed of a great calamity - the Pacific Ocean surging along Japan’s southern islands."

In response to the escalating rumors, the Japanese government and local officials have refuted the claims, with the Japan Meteorological Agency stating that predictions about when and where an earthquake will occur lack scientific basis.