Japan Faces July Earthquake Prophecy And Economic Fallout

As July 5, 2025, approaches, a wave of anxiety has swept across Japan and beyond, fueled by a prophecy of a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami striking the nation. This forecast, originating from a Japanese manga titled The Future I Saw by Ryo Tatsuki, has ignited widespread concern, economic ripples, and a flurry of official responses, despite the scientific community’s insistence that precise earthquake prediction remains impossible.

The manga, first published in 1999, gained notoriety for seemingly predicting the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, which also triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Tatsuki, a cartoonist born in 1954 who debuted in 1975 and produced 99 works by 1999, based The Future I Saw on dreams he recorded since the 1980s. The original edition explicitly mentioned “a major disaster will occur in Japan in March 2011,” a prophecy that came chillingly true. Following that event, the manga became a sought-after item in Japan’s second-hand market, fetching high prices.

In 2021, Tatsuki released a revised edition of the manga, adding new prophecies, including one that forecasts a massive natural disaster on July 5, 2025. According to the updated version, Tatsuki repeatedly dreamed of hearing the sea boiling around 4:18 a.m. on that day, followed by a gigantic submarine earthquake and a tsunami three times higher than the 2011 event. The location is presumed to be near the Philippine Sea, south of Japan. This vivid imagery has stoked fears of a repeat or even greater calamity.

However, the Japanese government and seismologists have been quick to caution against taking the prophecy at face value. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) firmly states that current science cannot predict earthquakes with specific timing and locations. They have warned the public not to trust prophetic content, emphasizing that earthquake forecasting does not provide exact dates or places. Local governments in the Tokai region and professional seismologists have echoed this, labeling attempts to link such prophecies with real seismic activity as irresponsible.

Adding to the confusion, Bloomberg reported that while the JMA dismisses specific date predictions as unreliable, the Japanese government has simultaneously issued statements acknowledging an increased risk of a major earthquake within the coming decades. This mixed messaging has fueled public uncertainty and media speculation, blurring the lines between scientific caution and alarmist interpretations.

Meanwhile, the prophecy’s impact extends beyond fear. Economic consequences are already unfolding, especially in Japan’s tourism sector. Nomura Securities recently projected a potential loss of 560 billion yen (about 530 billion Korean won) tied to decreased travel demand linked to the prophecy. The report highlighted a significant drop in Japanese travel bookings from Hong Kong, with some airline routes suspended or scaled back due to cancellations. Similar trends have been noted in South Korea, China, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Nomura estimates that between May and October 2025, roughly 2.4 million fewer tourists from Asia will visit Japan, amounting to about 8% of the annual tourist volume. ABC News corroborated this, noting that global travel agencies are ramping up discounts and incentives for Japan trips as consumers grow anxious and cancel plans. Yet, they also pointed out that May’s tourism numbers in Japan showed no clear decline, suggesting the downturn may be temporary if the predicted disaster does not occur.

Tatsuki himself has weighed in to clarify the situation. On June 15, 2025, he published a new book denying the prophecy’s specific date, stating, “The day something happens is not the day I dreamed.” He suggested that the July 5, 2025 date was likely introduced during a rushed editorial process, rather than being part of his original vision. Tatsuki does not engage in media beyond his manga, and although some questioned his existence due to a lack of public appearances or photographs, publishers and industry insiders have confirmed he is a real person.

Compounding public unease, seismic activity near the Tokara Islands has been unusually frequent since mid-June, with over 900 earthquakes mostly ranging from magnitude 1.5 to 5.6. While these tremors are relatively minor, their sheer number is atypical. Additionally, the catching of deep-sea fish—species normally found only in the ocean’s depths—has sparked further fear among locals and visitors alike.

The wider context includes an association of Tatsuki’s prophecy with a cluster of exaggerated predictions linked to the Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga, who is reputed to have an 85% accuracy rate but whose forecasts often lack scientific reliability. These include apocalyptic scenarios such as European wars and global economic collapse, which have resurfaced in 2025 discussions online.

A recent analysis by the Global Digital News (GDN) highlighted how such unscientific information proliferates in the digital age, influencing real-world behavior. It explained that the public often transforms coincidences into perceived inevitabilities, as happened when the July 5 prophecy was combined with recent seismic data. This emotional response tends to override rational thinking, amplifying fear.

Moreover, the article pointed out how minor earthquakes are misinterpreted as ominous precursors, inflating the power of unverified information. Despite repeated calls from the Japanese government for science-based responses, public opinion has slipped into confirmation bias, where people favor information that confirms their fears. The tourism industry and local economies have been directly hit by these irrational reactions, raising important questions about the social responsibility of information dissemination in the internet era.

The episode serves as a stark reminder of how “domino rumors” spread online can threaten society’s rationality and disaster preparedness. While the prophecy of a massive earthquake and tsunami striking Japan on July 5, 2025, remains scientifically unfounded, it has already reshaped perceptions and behaviors, underscoring the need for careful filtering of information and reliance on scientific expertise.

As Bloomberg succinctly put it, “A Japan earthquake may not occur on July 5, but it could happen anytime.” The real lesson here is the importance of constant vigilance and preparedness in a country where seismic activity is an ever-present reality, regardless of prophetic claims or viral rumors.