Published in 1999, the manga’s first edition mentioned a ‘great disaster’ in March 2011, coinciding with the earthquake that killed over 18,000 people and triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident.
A disturbing twist has added to the panic around the manga prediction, as a 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s Tokara Islands on July 3, just two days before the predicted disaster.Last month, Tatsuki appeared to back off her prediction, telling the national newspaper Sankei that it might not happen. However, she did not totally withdraw her warning, as per a TIME report.
Meanwhile, authorities have dismissed the claims of any super-earthquake as predicted by the manga, while asking people to rely on ‘scientific evidence’.
“With our current scientific knowledge, it’s difficult to predict the exact time, place or scale of an earthquake. We ask that people base their understanding on scientific evidence,” said Ayataka Ebita, director of the Japan Meteorological Agency’s earthquake and tsunami monitoring division, after a 5.4 magnitude quake shook Kyushu on Saturday, Japan Times reported.
Meanwhile, seismologists argue that earthquake forecasts are scientifically impossible. But fans trust Tatsuki because she appears to have predicted the disastrous Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
Reportedly, the 2021 reprint has sold over 1 million copies in Japan, and social media content has racked up millions of views.The manga predicts a crack will emerge under the seabed between Japan and the Philippines, triggering a massive tsunami. In its most recent edition, the cover features the quote “The real disaster will come in July 2025,” and the characters discuss a natural disaster in which “the ocean floor between Japan and the Philippines will crack,” with southwestern Japan being hit by waves three times higher than those from the Tohoku disaster.
While the book lacks scientific evidence, some have taken it as a forecast of a catastrophic occurrence on July 5. Tatsuki rose to prominence after she appeared to anticipate the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan’s northern Tohoku in 2011.
The viral rumours have created panic among tourists, with some airlines cancelling flights to Japanese cities due to low passenger demand.
Travel agencies have seen a significant impact, with Japan-related business dropping more than 50% due to the perceived fear of an impending disaster.
Steve Huen of Hong Kong-based travel business EGL Tours told Reuters, “The rumours have had a significant impact”, adding that his firm had seen its Japan-related business halve.
On Friday, authorities evacuated some residents from remote islands near the epicentre of a 5.5 magnitude earthquake off the tip of Kyushu, the southernmost main island.
Evacuees from Akusekijima, a small island in Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture hit by a quake, have arrived in the prefectural capital after an 11-hour ferry ride.
The 13 residents will stay in a hotel or with relatives for about a week, with the possibility of extending their stay depending on the situation. The evacuation was undertaken due to concerns over the island’s safety following the earthquake.
