Manga-Predicted Megaquake? Baseless Rumors of July Disaster in Japan Deter Some Visitors

Disastrous Rumors Fly

Rumors of a major earthquake set to hit Japan on July 5, 2025, based on a prediction of catastrophe in a dream depicted in a 2021 manga by Tatsuki Ryō, have been spreading online. While there is no scientific evidence for such a disaster, social media sharing of the prophecy has led to a drop in visitors to Japan from Hong Kong.

A June survey found that 49.4% of Japanese people had heard rumors of the prophecy and 50.6% had not. The survey was conducted by Sky Perfect JSAT, targeting 1,000 people nationwide aged 15 to 69.

The highest percentages for people who had heard the rumors were for women in their teens (61.4%) and fifties (57.8%). Among men, those in their teens (54.2%) and twenties (51.8%) were more likely to know.

Of the 494 people who heard about the rumors, the most common source was YouTube at 27.7%, followed by television (25.7%), online news (24.1%), family/friends (21.5%), and X (formerly Twitter) (20.4%).

YouTube was a popular source for men, while many over 40 heard about it from television, and young people from X. TikTok was common among teenage girls.

When asked what trustworthy news source they use on a daily basis, 41.9% of respondents said television, 25.6% online news, and 21.8% newspapers (including digital versions).

Television was top among all ages, but there was a considerable gap between the proportion of people in their sixties (71.7%) and those in their twenties (24.7%) who chose it.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)