Why are people concerned about a prophecy from a graphic novel, and how prepared is Japan for a major earthquake? This Week in Asia breaks it down.
1. What does the manga predict?
Online buzz originated from the manga Watashi ga Mita Mirai, Kanzenban (The Future That I Saw, Complete Edition). The bestseller, first published in 1999, was based on the dreams of artist Ryo Tatsuki.
In its latest edition, its cover includes the quote “The real disaster will come in July 2025” and characters discuss a natural disaster in which “the ocean floor between Japan and the Philippines will crack”, with southwestern Japan subsequently struck by waves three times higher than those from the Tohoku tsunami.
While the book contains no scientific backing, some have interpreted it as a prediction of a catastrophic event that will occur on July 5. Social media videos and posts spreading the rumour have gained widespread traction and even appeared in other languages – including Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai.
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Why a viral manga warning of a megaquake has some travellers cancelling Japan trips
Why a viral manga warning of a megaquake has some travellers cancelling Japan trips
Tatsuki – dubbed Japan’s “Baba Vanga” after a Bulgarian mystic who claimed to have foreseen the future – gained notoriety after she seemingly predicted the 9.0-magnitude earthquake which struck Japan’s northern Tohoku region in 2011.
