Failed prophecy sparks new vague July doomsday theory

A viral doomsday prediction from Japanese manga artist Ryūju Mitsuki's book, "The Future I Saw," claiming that a catastrophic earthquake would strike Japan at 4.18am Japan time on July 5, 2025, proved to be unfounded as Saturday passed without incident. The phrase "Japan: Nothing Happened" trended atop Weibo, with netizens sharing peaceful morning photos from across Japan.

Despite online speculation peaking with tens of thousands watching live streams overnight, no major quake occurred.

Only a minor 5.3-magnitude tremor occurred near the Tokara Islands around 8am, far from the predicted timing and scale. Some believers now argue that the prophecy vaguely refers to "July" rather than specifically to July 5, keeping alarmist theories alive.

Japanese supermarkets showed no signs of panic buying, maintaining normal supplies. However, social media revealed that some people made scattered preparations. For instance, a man in Tokyo stored 120 liters of water across his apartment, expressing his readiness for any disaster by stating it was better to be safe than sorry.

Commenters debated his methods, pointing out the necessity of having drinkable water and suggesting uses for the stored water post-"deadline," such as watering plants. Others humorously suggested hoarding waterproof currency instead.