Manga's 2025 Disaster Prediction Causes Fear, Holiday Plans Canceled

Over the past few weeks, the manga "The Future I Saw" (Watashi ga Mita Mirai) by Ryo Tatsuki has garnered significant attention both in Japan and internationally due to its prediction of a massive natural disaster set to occur in July 2025. This claim has led to noticeable changes in travel plans, with some tourists opting out of visiting Japan during the predicted time frame. The manga's resurgence in popularity and its impact on public perception have been amplified by social media and an upcoming Japanese horror movie, further intertwining fact and fiction.

Ryo Tatsuki's manga, first published in 1999, is based on her dream diaries, which she began keeping in 1985. The manga features Tatsuki as a character and includes various premonitions, one of which eerily matched the devastating Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami of March 2011. The 1999 edition's cover, depicting Tatsuki's character with a hand up to one eye and postcards referencing her visions, gained renewed interest after the 2011 disaster, driving up the value of out-of-print copies.

People pray as they take part in a minute's silence to remember the victims on the 14th anniversary of the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Photo by STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images.In 2021, Tatsuki released "The Future I Saw: Complete Edition," which included a new prediction of a tsunami three times the size of the 2011 disaster hitting Japan in July 2025. Given the accuracy of her previous prediction, this new forewarning quickly spread across social media platforms in Japan, fueling public concern.

This renewed interest has reportedly influenced some travelers, particularly from Hong Kong, to reconsider their summer plans to Japan. The manga's translation into Chinese has likely contributed to its impact in Hong Kong, where a local fortune-teller and TV personality, Master Seven, has echoed Tatsuki's prediction, warning of increased earthquake risk between June and August 2024.

Japanese media, such as ANN News, have reported on the responses from Hong Kong-based airlines to these predictions. Hong Kong Airlines canceled its weekly flights to Sendai, a city severely affected by the 2011 earthquake, while Greater Bay Airlines reduced its direct flights to Sendai and Tokushima from May to October, citing a decline in demand attributed to the disaster predictions and economic uncertainty. Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai criticized the predictions as lacking scientific basis and urged tourists to ignore them.

The increased media coverage has propelled "The Future I Saw" back into the spotlight, with the Complete Edition selling over 1 million copies. This surge in interest coincides with the release of a new Japanese horror movie titled "July 5 2025, 4:18 AM," set to premiere on June 27. The film draws inspiration from Tatsuki's July 2025 earthquake prediction, further blending the lines between the manga's narrative and real-world fears. Misinformation on social media has led some to believe the movie's title indicates the exact date of the predicted disaster, prompting Asuka Shinsha, the manga's publisher, to clarify that Tatsuki did not specify the date and time mentioned in the film's title.

Japan's vulnerability to natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and landslides, adds to the public's anxiety. Seismologists estimate a 70-80% chance of a Nankai Trough megaquake striking Japan within the next 30 years, a scenario that could devastate major cities and result in around 300,000 fatalities. Recent government revisions to the projected death toll for such a quake have reignited discussions about disaster preparedness. However, the Japan Meteorological Agency dismisses specific date predictions as hoaxes, emphasizing the unpredictability of such events.

Public reaction on social media platforms like X has been mixed, with many users criticizing the media frenzy and panic surrounding Tatsuki's prediction. Tatsuki herself has expressed satisfaction if her manga has heightened disaster preparedness but cautioned against being overly influenced by her premonition, encouraging people to rely on expert opinions instead.