TOKYO: Japan is holding its breath ahead of July 5, 2025, as a decades-old manga prediction ignites fears of an imminent, catastrophic natural disaster. The source: Watashi ga Mita Mirai (“The Future I Saw”), a manga based on the dream journals of reclusive artist Ryo Tatsuki, which chillingly forecasted the March 2011 tsunami-and now warns of another major event this weekend.First published in 1999, Tatsuki’s manga remained obscure until after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, when readers noticed an entry referencing a “Major disaster in March 2011” scrawled on the cover. That apparent prediction led to a cult following-and now, renewed concern following the release of an expanded 2021 edition that flags July 5, 2025, as the date of another devastating event, as per a Bloomberg opinion by Gearoid Reidy.In her update, Tatsuki describes a powerful eruption in the Philippine Sea triggering a tsunami “three times the height” of 2011’s waves. While the manga stops short of naming a location, readers and media have latched onto the eerie specificity. According to Bloomberg, the date has become a topic of serious discussion-surfacing in cafes, bars, and social feeds across the country.Scientific agencies, however, urge caution. The Japan Meteorological Agency posted on social media that “any such predictions should be considered unreliable.” Yet the government’s own warnings about the looming Nankai Trough megaquake-believed likely to occur within our lifetime-make it harder for the public to dismiss prophetic claims outright. Last year, a government alert about elevated seismic risk triggered widespread anxiety, and even caused a national spike in rice hoarding.The panic isn’t just psychological. The prophecy is already affecting Japan’s economy. Bloomberg reports that Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at the Nomura Research Institute, estimates ¥560 billion ($3.9 billion) in potential damage if tourism continues to decline. Airlines like Greater Bay Airlines in Hong Kong have already reduced flights, citing a 30% drop in bookings-blaming fear tied directly to the manga’s forecast.Even feng shui practitioners in Asia are amplifying the warning. One popular expert echoed the July disaster window, predicting a major earthquake between June and August. The ripple effect has prompted Japanese governors to weigh in. Miyagi Prefecture’s Yoshihiro Murai called the spreading rumors “a problem,” and Tokushima’s Masazumi Gotoda reminded the public that such events can happen anytime, anywhere.Still, skepticism is widespread. Online commenters in Japan have met the prophecy with a mix of sarcasm and resignation: “Gee, thanks a lot, occult YouTubers,” quipped one. Others expressed fatigue with recurring doomsday claims, questioning Tatsuki’s motives: “If she’s right about this one, I’ll believe her. Otherwise, she can take a hike.”The manga’s popularity continues to surge-over 1 million copies sold-and Tatsuki, once silent, has distanced herself from the exact timing of her July 5 prediction. But her reputation rides on it. As Bloomberg’s Gearoid Reidy put it: “Two really is the magic number that few – if any – earthquake predictors have managed to achieve.”In the likely event that nothing happens on Saturday, the hype may fade. Some may feel embarrassed, others may feel vindicated. But as Reidy writes, perhaps the only true takeaway is a reminder we’d all do well to heed: prepare for disaster-not because a comic book says so, but because in Japan, the next big one isn’t a matter of if, but when.
