Over the past few weeks, a once-obscure manga titled "The Future I Saw" (Watashi ga Mita Mirai) by Ryo Tatsuki has captured widespread attention both in Japan and internationally. The manga, which first saw publication in 1999, features Tatsuki as a character and draws from her dream diaries since 1985. The cover of the original edition showcases Tatsuki’s character with a hand up to one eye, surrounded by postcards representing her "visions," including one that eerily predicted the March 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. This apparent accuracy reignited interest in the manga, driving up prices of the out-of-print book on auction sites.
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 an updated version titled "The Future I Saw: Complete Edition," which included a new prediction of a massive tsunami hitting Japan in July 2025, three times the size of the 2011 disaster. Given the perceived accuracy of her previous prediction, this new prophecy quickly spread across Japanese social media platforms, contributing to some tourists reconsidering their plans to visit Japan during the summer of 2025. This effect seems to be particularly notable in Hong Kong, where the manga is available in translation. Additionally, Hong Kong-based fortune-teller Master Seven has amplified Tatsuki's prediction, claiming increased earthquake risks for Japan between June and August 2024.
Media reports from outlets like Sankei Shimbun and CNN have highlighted how Hong Kong Airlines has canceled its three weekly flights to Sendai, a city heavily affected by the 2011 disaster, while Greater Bay Airlines has reduced its direct flights to Sendai and Tokushima from May to October due to declining demand. Economic uncertainty and the disaster predictions have been cited as reasons for these changes. Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai, in a press conference, criticized the "unscientific foundations" of these predictions and encouraged tourists to disregard them.
The surge in interest has led to over 1 million copies sold of the Complete Edition by May 23. This coincides with the release of an upcoming Japanese horror movie titled "July 5 2025, 4:18 AM," which begins screening on June 27. The film, inspired by Tatsuki's July 2025 prediction, features a main character whose birthday falls on July 5. The media frenzy around the manga and its predictions has inadvertently boosted the movie's visibility. However, some social media posts and video content have mistakenly claimed that the movie title refers to the exact date and time of the predicted disaster, mixing scientific earthquake data with alarmist warnings. In response, publisher Asuka Shinsha issued a statement clarifying that Tatsuki did not specify the date and time mentioned in the movie title and urged the public not to be misled by incomplete information.
Japan is no stranger to natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and landslides. While Tatsuki's predictions may lack scientific backing, they tap into broader, well-founded fears. Seismologists estimate a 70-80% chance of a Nankai Trough megaquake hitting Japan within the next 30 years, a scenario that could affect major cities and result in around 300,000 fatalities, with the potential for massive tsunamis. This fear has been reignited by the government's revised projected death toll for such a quake, published at the end of March 2024. However, the Japan Meteorological Agency dismisses specific predictions of major earthquakes and tsunamis as "hoaxes."
On social media platforms like X, many Japanese-speaking users have criticized the media coverage and panic surrounding Tatsuki's predictions. One user stated, "It's stupid to believe in disaster predictions from a manga. The Nankai Trough quake could happen today or tomorrow." Tatsuki herself has responded to the attention, expressing satisfaction if her manga has heightened disaster preparedness but cautioning against being "overly influenced" by her predictions and instead encouraging reliance on expert opinions.
