Over the past few weeks, a once-obscure manga titled "The Future I Saw" (Watashi ga Mita Mirai) by Ryo Tatsuki has gained significant attention both in Japan and internationally. The manga, which was first published in 1999, features Tatsuki as a character and is based on her dream diaries that she has kept since 1985. The cover of the 1999 edition depicts Tatsuki's character with a hand up to one eye, surrounded by postcards that reference various "visions" she claims to have seen, including one that reads "March 2011: A Great Disaster." Following the devastating Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami in March 2011, the manga gained renewed interest, with out-of-print copies fetching high prices 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 of her manga titled "The Future I Saw: Complete Edition," where she added a new premonition: a tsunami three times the size of the March 2011 disaster is predicted to hit Japan in July 2025. Given her previous prediction about the 2011 disaster, this new prophecy quickly spread across social media in Japan, sparking concern and belief among some individuals.
This belief has reportedly led to a decline in summer travel plans to Japan, particularly noticeable in Hong Kong where the manga is available in translation. According to reports from the Sankei Shimbun and CNN, Hong Kong-based fortune-teller and TV personality Master Seven has amplified Tatsuki's prediction, suggesting a higher earthquake risk for Japan between June and August of this year.
Japanese domestic TV coverage has focused on the reactions of Hong Kong-based airlines to these predictions. As reported by ANN News and other stations, Hong Kong Airlines has canceled its three weekly flights to Sendai, a city severely affected by the 2011 earthquake. Similarly, Greater Bay Airlines is reducing its direct flights from Hong Kong to Sendai and Tokushima between May and October, citing a sudden drop in demand for travel to Japan. This decline is attributed to the July disaster predictions and broader economic uncertainties. In a press conference at the end of April, Yoshihiro Murai, the governor of Miyagi Prefecture, criticized the "unscientific foundations" of these predictions and encouraged tourists to disregard them.
The increased media attention on "The Future I Saw" and its impact on tourism has reignited interest in the manga, with the Complete Edition selling over 1 million copies as reported on May 23. This surge in interest coincides with the release of a new Japanese horror movie titled "July 5 2025, 4:18 AM," which begins screening on June 27. The movie, inspired by Tatsuki's July 2025 earthquake prediction, follows a character whose birthday is on July 5 and experiences strange occurrences. The widespread media coverage of the manga and its predictions has likely contributed to the film's visibility.
However, some social media discourse and video content have inaccurately suggested that the movie's title indicates the exact date of the predicted disaster, mixing scientific information with alarmist warnings. This led the publisher Asuka Shinsha to issue a clarifying statement, emphasizing that Tatsuki did not specify the date and time mentioned in the movie title and urging the public not to be misled by fragmented information.
Natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and landslides, are frequent occurrences in Japan. While Tatsuki's premonition may lack scientific backing, it taps into a broader, evidence-based fear. Seismologists estimate a 70-80% chance of a Nankai Trough megaquake hitting Japan within the next 30 years, as reported by Asahi News and Kobe University. This fear was reignited earlier this year when the government revised its projected death toll for such a quake, estimating around 300,000 fatalities and massive tsunamis. Despite these scientific estimates, the Japan Meteorological Agency labels predictions of specific dates and locations for major earthquakes and tsunamis as "hoaxes" on its homepage. Tatsuki's accurate prediction of the 2011 disaster might be seen as a fortunate coincidence given Japan's vulnerability to natural disasters.
In recent weeks, many Japanese-speaking users on X have criticized the media coverage and panic surrounding Tatsuki's prediction. 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 increased disaster preparedness but urging people not to be "overly influenced" by her premonition and to rely on expert opinions, as reported by the Mainichi Shimbun.
