Japan Braces for July 5 Disaster Panic as Manga Prediction Sparks Earthquake Fears Across Asia
Tokyo, July 4, 2025 – A decades-old manga prophecy has triggered widespread panic across Asia, prompting people to cancel travel to Japan over fears of a catastrophic natural disaster predicted to strike on July 5. The anxiety stems from a manga titled “The Future I Saw” (2021) by Ryo Tatsuki, popularly known as “Japan’s Baba Vanga“, who is credited with eerily accurate predictions of the 1995 Kobe earthquake and the 2011 Tohoku tsunami.
Now, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan’s Tokara Islands on July 3—just two days before the foretold disaster—has intensified public concern.
What the Manga Predicted
In the manga, Tatsuki predicted a massive undersea crack forming between Japan and the Philippines, triggering a tsunami three times bigger than 2011’s, the deadliest in Japan’s history. Alarmingly, recent scientific studies have noted tectonic activity and slow-slip earthquakes in the Nankai Trough, the same region mentioned in the manga.
Also read: Fresh U.S. Sanctions Hit Iran After Ceasefire — Peace or Power Play?
These slow-slip tremors, although silent and deep, could be a precursor to a major earthquake, researchers warn.
Scientific Warning Adds to the Anxiety
The Nankai Trough, a seismic zone where tectonic plates collide, has a recorded history of megaquakes occurring every 100 to 200 years. The last one struck in 1946 with a magnitude of 8.1 to 8.4.
A Japanese government panel recently raised the probability of a magnitude 7 or higher earthquake in the Nankai region to 82% in the next 30 years, up from 75%. The potential consequences are staggering: up to 298,000 deaths and $2 trillion in damages, according to the Earthquake Research Committee of Japan.
Travel Plans Canceled Amid ‘Doomsday’ Fear
The viral speculation around the July 5 prophecy has led to a wave of travel cancellations, especially from Asian tourists who are wary of the unfolding events. Hashtags related to the manga prediction and “Japan earthquake July 5” are trending on social media platforms, feeding into a wave of doomsday anxiety.
Despite official reassurances, many are drawing parallels between Tatsuki’s earlier predictions that came true and the current seismic activity. With the timing and location eerily aligned, panic is spreading across the region.
As Japan continues to monitor seismic activity in the Nankai Trough, authorities urge calm and emphasize that no scientific method exists to predict the exact timing of earthquakes. Still, the timing of recent events has left many on edge as July 5 approaches.