Latest news with #TheFutureIsaw
Mint
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Japan disaster incoming? Tokyo on edge as over 1000 quakes rattle Tokara Islands; govt warns of more strong tremors
Japan is experiencing strong earthquakes, particularly in waters southwest of its main island. While the government on Saturday warned of the possibility of further strong earthquakes, authorities are urging the public not to believe unfounded predictions of a major disaster. The recent seismic events have fueled rumors, particularly stemming from interpretations of a 1999 comic book titled 'The Future I Saw.' On Thursday, a 5.5-magnitude quake struck off the coast of Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, followed by another 5.4-magnitude tremor on Saturday, Reuters reported. These tremors, strong enough to make standing difficult, were one of more than 1,000 tremors in the islands of Kagoshima prefecture in the past two weeks. From June 21 to June 27, as many as 474 earthquakes rattled an island chain with many active volcanoes in southern Japan, the national weather agency said on Thursday. While no major damage was reported, the residents of the islands have been asked to remain vigilant. A total of 474 such earthquakes had been observed around the Tokara island chain, south of Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The strongest of the 474 recorded earthquakes were two magnitude 5.1 tremors. The authorities on Friday took prompt action, evacuating some residents from remote islands as a precautionary measure. As the tremors shook the nation, it has fueled rumors stemming from a comic book prediction that a major disaster would befall Japan this month. Details in the 'The Future I saw' has prompted some travelers to avoid Japan as it has predicted a catastrophic event on Saturday. Ryo Tatsuki, the artist behind the manga, first published in 1999 and re-released in 2021, said she was "not a prophet", in a statement issued by her publisher. After the predictions were circulated widely, tourists arriving from Hong Kong were down 11% in May from the same month last year, according to the latest data. "With our current scientific knowledge, it's difficult to predict the exact time, place or scale of an earthquake," said Ayataka Ebita, director of the Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake and tsunami monitoring division, "We ask that people base their understanding on scientific evidence," Ebita told a press conference. Japan has been a tourist hotspot, with record visitor numbers this year as April set a record monthly high of 3.9 million travelers. Earthquakes are a common occurrence in Japan, which falls under one of the world's most seismically active areas. It accounts for about one-fifth of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater, the news agency said.
Japan Today
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Authorities say latest quake not connected to viral manga prediction
A sales banner written by the store reading "Whether you believe it or not is up to you" is displayed next to the comic book titled "The Future I saw," authored by manga artist Ryo Tatsuki, on the shelf at the book store Village Vanguard in Tokyo on June 30. Japan's weather agency said an earthquake that rattled small islands in the nation's southwest on Saturday was in no way connected to a manga author's disaster prediction that went viral on social media. "It is absolutely a coincidence. There is no causal connection," Ayataka Ebita of the Japan Meteorological Agency told a press conference. Earlier in the day, a temblor with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 struck off the Tokara island chain, the latest in a series of seismic events in the area. Speculation has spread that Japan will be hit by a major disaster in July -- specifically on Saturday, July 5 -- based on a prediction made in "The Future I Saw," a manga authored by Japanese artist Ryo Tatsuki. Tatsuki gained a profile after her prediction of a "major calamity" in March 2011 coincided with a catastrophic quake-tsunami that struck Japan's northeast and led to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. Ebita said current science is unable to accurately predict earthquakes, and any that appear to fit the manga's prediction are purely coincidental. "In Japan, earthquakes can happen at any time. Please be prepared always," he added. The quake on Saturday occurred at 6:29 a.m. at a depth of about 19 kilometers, and no tsunami warning was issued. It measured upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7, the agency said. The magnitude and depth of the quake's focus were revised from 5.3 and 20 km, respectively. The number of quakes detected in the Tokara island chain area has exceeded 1,300 since June 21. A temblor with a magnitude of 5.5, measuring lower 6 of the Japanese scale, jolted the area Thursday. Around a dozen residents evacuated from Akuseki Island, which has experienced strong shaking throughout the period of instability, to Kagoshima on the main island of Kyushu via ferry on Friday. Akuseki Island has an area of less than 8 square kilometers and a population of 89, according to the local government. © KYODO
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Manga doomsday prediction spooks tourists to Japan
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: A sales banner written by the store reading 'Whether you believe it or not is up to you' is displayed next to the comic book titled 'The Future I saw', authored by manga artist Ryo Tatsuki, on the shelf at the book store Village Vanguard in Tokyo, Japan June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo TOKYO/HONG KONG - Viral rumours of impending disaster stemming from a comic book prediction have taken the sheen off Japan's tourism boom, with some airlines cancelling flights from Hong Kong where passengers numbers have plunged. Japan has seen record numbers of visitors this year, with April setting an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million travellers. That dipped in May, however, with arrivals from Hong Kong - the superstitious Chinese-controlled city where the rumours have circulated widely - down 11% year-on-year, according to the latest data. Steve Huen of Hong Kong-based travel agency EGL Tours blamed a flurry of social media predictions tied to a manga that depicts a dream of a massive earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan and neighbouring countries in July 2025. "The rumours have had a significant impact," said Huen, adding that his firm had seen its Japan-related business halve. Discounts and the introduction of earthquake insurance had "prevented Japan-bound travel from dropping to zero," he added. Hong Kong resident Branden Choi, 28, said he was a frequent traveller to Japan but was hesitant to visit the country during July and August due to the manga prediction. "If possible, I might delay my trip and go after September", he said. Ryo Tatsuki, the artist behind the manga titled 'The Future I Saw', first published in 1999 and then re-released in 2021, has tried to dampen the speculation, saying in a statement issued by her publisher that she was "not a prophet". Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore Over 40% of Singaporean seniors have claimed SG60 vouchers: Low Yen Ling Asia 4 dead, 38 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali Singapore $1.46b nickel-trading scam: Ng Yu Zhi's bid for bail midway through trial denied by High Court Singapore Pedestrian-only path rules to be enforced reasonably; focus on errant cyclists: Baey Yam Keng Singapore Jail for 'sugar daddy' who gave minor cash for sex, threatened to post her explicit videos online Singapore Train service resumes across Bukit Panjang LRT line after power fault led to 3-hour disruption Singapore Is using Gen AI for schoolwork and tests cheating? The first edition of the manga warned of a major natural disaster in March 2011. That was the month and year when a massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster struck Japan's northeastern coast killing thousands. Some have interpreted the latest edition as predicting a catastrophic event would occur specifically on July 5, 2025, although Tatsuki has denied this. Situated within the Pacific Ocean's 'Ring of Fire,' Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In recent days there have been more than 900 earthquakes, most of them small tremors, on islands off the southern tip of Kyushu. But Robert Geller, a professor at the University of Tokyo who has studied seismology since 1971, said even scientifically-based earthquake prediction was "impossible". "None of the predictions I've experienced in my scientific career have come close at all," he said. Nevertheless, low-cost carrier Greater Bay Airlines became the latest Hong Kong airline on Wednesday to cancel flights to Japan due to low demand, saying it would indefinitely suspend its service to Tokushima in western Japan from September. Serena Peng, 30, a visitor to Tokyo from Seattle, had initially tried to talk her husband out of visiting Japan after seeing the social media speculation. "I'm not super worried right now, but I was before," she said, speaking outside Tokyo's bustling Senso-ji temple. REUTERS
