A prophecy by Japanese manga artist Ryo Tatsuki is causing widespread panic across East Asia as July 5, 2025, approaches. Known for her cult manga Watashi ga Mita Mirai (The Future I Saw), Tatsuki had accurately referenced a “major disaster in March 2011” years before the Tōhoku tsunami. Now, her readers are alarmed by another specific warning in her work—one that claims a massive disaster would strike on July 5, 2025.
This forewarning, tied to an imagined undersea eruption in the Philippine Sea causing a tsunami “three times larger” than in 2011, has gone viral on social media platforms across Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Despite scientists repeatedly dismissing the manga’s claims as fiction, the anxiety it has fueled is very real. Even some feng shui consultants have echoed concerns around early July, adding a spiritual layer to the hysteria.
The panic has led to mass cancellations in tourism and hospitality sectors, especially in Japan. Regional destinations such as Tottori have reportedly experienced up to a 50% decline in bookings, while airlines like Greater Bay Airlines are seeing a 30% drop in demand. Analysts estimate potential economic losses worth nearly ¥560 billion ($3.9 billion) across East Asia, primarily driven by fear of the predicted cataclysm.
In an attempt to calm the frenzy, seismologists and meteorological agencies have reaffirmed that there is no scientific basis for the prediction. Natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, they emphasize, cannot be foretold with such precision. Ryo Tatsuki herself recently urged people not to take her dreams literally, stating, “These are just my dreams. I am not a prophet.”
Yet, the prophecy continues to grip the public’s imagination. With over a million copies of her book sold and numerous conspiracy theories spreading online, July 5 has become a psychological flashpoint. Whether anything unusual happens on the date or not, the saga highlights the viral power of fiction and the deep-seated anxieties it can trigger in disaster-prone regions.