Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Manga Tsunami Prophecy Fuels Tourism Slump as Quake Swarms Persist

Government agencies urge reliance on scientific risk assessments instead of unverified tsunami forecasts

Image
A member of staff places the comic book titled 'The Future I saw', authored by manga artist Ryo Tatsuki, on the shelf at Village Vanguard book store in Tokyo, Japan June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato/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
Image

Overview

  • More than 900 tremors have rattled the Tokara Islands since June 21, with magnitudes up to 5.6 confirmed by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
  • Airlines such as Greater Bay Airlines have cut capacity after bookings plunged roughly 30%, risking an estimated ¥560 billion ($3.9 billion) in tourism revenue.
  • A June Sky Perfect JSAT survey found that 49.4% of Japanese adults are aware of the July 5 tsunami prophecy, with highest recognition among women in their teens and fifties.
  • The Japan Meteorological Agency and University of Tokyo seismologist Naoya Sekiya emphasize that precise earthquake forecasting remains scientifically impossible and label such predictions as unreliable.
  • Scientists using advanced borehole observatories have detected slow-slip seismic movements beneath the Nankai Trough that they say do not indicate an impending major tsunami.