🔮 “The Real Catastrophe Will Come in July” — Japan on Edge over a 73-Year-Old Manga Prophet

“I just wrote what I saw in my dream.”
— Ryo Tatsuki, retired manga artist

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As Japan braces for yet another summer of seismic anxiety, a retired manga artist’s prediction is sparking global attention, fear, and controversy.

Ryo Tatsuki (73) — an enigmatic figure who gained cult-like attention after seemingly predicting the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake — is back in the headlines with a new forecast:

“The real catastrophe will happen in July 2025.”

This cryptic statement, scribbled on the band of a reissued manga volume titled The Future I Saw, has stirred a wave of fear across East Asia, causing a measurable drop in inbound tourism from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

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📘 Who is Ryo Tatsuki?

• Born in 1954, Yokohama, Japan

• Manga career from 1975 to 1999, with 99 published works

• Never publicly revealed her face

• Known for horror and folklore-based short comics

Starting in the 1980s, Tatsuki began keeping a “dream diary” for personal psychological insight — not initially intended for publication. Over time, some of her strangest dreams found their way into manga stories.

In the 1990s, she created a story about a summer tsunami following small earthquakes and volatile spring weather. The comic featured panicked crowds running as a giant wave approached.

What drew attention later, however, was not the story itself — but a line handwritten on the cover of her 1999 manga:

“The great disaster will occur in March 2011.”

At the time, the editor questioned the decision, but it was left in — and soon forgotten. Then came the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, one of the most devastating events in modern Japanese history.

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🔁 The Prophecy Returns: “July 2025”

Following the 2011 earthquake, The Future I Saw was out of print — until it was reissued in 2021, updated with a new “message from a dream”:

“The real catastrophe will happen in July 2025.”
Tatsuki says she dreamt of the seafloor rising between Japan and the Philippines, triggering a massive tsunami.

This updated edition sold over 900,000 copies, and was even published in Chinese. As the forecasted date nears, panic is spreading — especially on YouTube, TikTok, and Chinese-language social media.

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✈️ Tourism Impact and Diplomatic Fallout

• Chinese and Taiwanese travelers have been canceling trips to Japan in growing numbers

• Hong Kong airlines reportedly reduced flights between April and October

• The Chinese Embassy in Japan issued a travel caution, advising nationals to reconsider plans for tourism, study abroad, or property investment in Japan

Chinese media had already fanned concerns earlier this year with another viral claim: a Japanese spiritualist predicted a major quake in Tokyo on April 26, which never occurred.

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🎥 The Internet’s Obsession with Doom

Search “The Future I Saw” on YouTube, and you’ll find countless shorts, explainers, and reaction videos.
Japanese and Hong Kong spiritual influencers have further amplified the doomsday narrative, making Tatsuki’s prophecy a cultural phenomenon beyond Japan.

This phenomenon illustrates how algorithm-driven platforms turn niche fears into mainstream social anxiety — especially when fueled by real historical trauma like the 2011 disaster.

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🧠 Rational Voices and Government Pushback

Tatsuki herself has responded cautiously in interviews:

“I’m observing the situation objectively.
I hope this attention raises awareness of disaster preparedness.”

She added:

“Interpret my dreams however you like, but don’t be swayed by them without consulting expert opinions.”

Japan’s Cabinet Office for Disaster Management also released a statement via X (formerly Twitter):

“It is not scientifically possible to predict the time and place of an earthquake.”

Skeptical Japanese media point out that apocalyptic rumors regularly resurface, often gaining momentum in disaster-prone nations. Parallels were drawn with Japan’s past cults and millenarian fears — notably Aum Shinrikyo in the 1990s.

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🔍 Why Are People Still Scared?

1. Collective trauma: Japan has not fully recovered emotionally or economically from 2011.

2. Cultural resonance: A manga artist’s voice — even retired — carries narrative power.

3. Viral ecosystems: TikTok, X, and YouTube reward sensationalism over scientific skepticism.

4. Lack of trust: Despite government reassurances, many citizens fear underpreparedness.

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🧭 Conclusion: Prophecy or Psychological Mirror?

Tatsuki’s warning may not be scientific — but its impact is real.
It reflects a society grappling with uncertainty, trauma, and the limits of control in the face of nature.

Whether or not disaster strikes in July, one thing is certain:
The fear already has.