Japan Meteorological Agency denies linking viral manga prediction to earthquake

July 5, 2025

Tokyo, July 5: A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Japan’s Tokara Islands on Saturday morning. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake struck at a depth of 19 kilometres and no tsunami alert was issued after it.

Viral manga prediction just a coincidence: Weather agency

The prediction of the disaster on Saturday in July by Ryo Tatsuki, author of a manga titled “The Future I Saw”, was going viral on social media. But weather agency official Ayataka Ebita clarified that it was just a coincidence, science cannot accurately predict such events.

People shifted to safer places amid continuous tremors

More than 1,000 tremors have been felt in the area in the past two weeks. After a 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck on Thursday, people from Akusekijima Island were shifted to Kagoshima city.

Japan: An earthquake-prone country

Located at the meeting point of four major tectonic plates, Japan is part of the ‘Ring of Fire’ region and experiences around 1,500 earthquakes each year. Japan alone accounts for 18% of the world’s total seismic activity.