Ryo Tatsuki’s chilling prophecy: Japan submerged, mega-tsunami to strike?

Widespread concern is mounting once again across Japan and Southeast Asia as seismic activity intensifies, with more than 1,000 earthquakes recorded in recent weeks. 

Authorities have issued emergency advisories urging residents to be ready for evacuation at any time.

The timing of these tremors has revived public interest in an eerie prophecy made by enigmatic manga artist Ryo Tatsuki, whose predictive visions—rendered in comic form—have attracted renewed scrutiny as the world enters July 2025.

Tatsuki’s cult manga, The Future I Saw, first published in 1999 and reissued with additional content in 2021, came to prominence after accurately portraying the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, ten years before the disaster occurred. 

Her work also features uncanny parallels to other major events, including the death of Princess Diana in 1997, the passing of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in 1991, and the 1995 Kobe earthquake. 

These coincidental predictions led some Japanese media outlets to dub her “The manga artist who foresaw the future in her sleep”.

The current wave of attention centres on a vivid dream Tatsuki had on the morning of July 5, 2021, which she documented in her manga. In the dream, a “true catastrophe” strikes in July 2025. She describes an undersea fault line at the Philippine Trench—where the Pacific and Philippine tectonic plates meet—splitting open, unleashing a tsunami three times higher than the one that struck in 2011.

The envisioned tsunami devastates much of Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, and parts of China. Most startling, however, is the line she recorded: “Japan disappears from the map.” While some interpret this literally, others suggest it reflects a symbolic or spiritual collapse rather than physical annihilation.

Importantly, Tatsuki never claimed to be a clairvoyant. She insisted that her manga merely captured her recurring dreams. Furthermore, she made no mention of an exact date—only the month and year—leaving room for interpretation.

In the three months leading up to July 2025, several alarming incidents have further fuelled speculation around Ryo Tatsuki’s unsettling prophecy, prompting many in the region to draw connections between recent natural phenomena and her dream.

• On March 28, Myanmar was struck by a devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake, resulting in over 5,000 fatalities. While the country does not lie directly on the Philippine Trench mentioned in Tatsuki’s dream, it forms part of the interconnected tectonic system in Southeast Asia, raising fears of broader regional instability.
• In Japan, seismic activity has intensified, with a series of moderate earthquakes ranging from magnitude 5.1 to 6.2 recorded along the Tohoku coastline—the same area hit by the catastrophic 2011 tsunami—as well as around the Okinawa Islands.
• Further adding to the anxiety is the appearance of the oarfish, a deep-sea species traditionally considered a harbinger of disaster in Japanese folklore. Multiple sightings of the fish washed ashore have been reported along the coasts of Honshu and Shikoku, stirring unease among local communities.
• In a sign of growing public concern, a significant number of flights from Hong Kong to Japan were cancelled throughout June. Observers say this reflects heightened fears among people in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China, where Tatsuki’s prediction has gained a particularly large following online.

Scientific view urges calm, but preparedness gains momentum

Despite the mounting anxiety, geologists and scientists continue to stress that there is no scientific evidence supporting the claim that a major disaster will occur in July 2025.

Seismic monitoring systems have not detected any unusual tectonic activity, and there are no signs of awakening undersea volcanoes. 

NASA has also confirmed that no celestial objects are expected to collide with Earth this year. 

Meanwhile, Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) reports that the 2025 typhoon season remains within normal parameters.

Nevertheless, the public unease has translated into concrete preparedness measures, particularly in coastal areas with histories of natural disasters, such as Kagoshima, Osaka, and Okinawa. 

Many families have begun stockpiling emergency supplies and practising evacuation drills on their own initiative—without waiting for official alerts.

Ryo Tatsuki herself has previously stated in interviews that her goal was never to incite panic, but to encourage mindfulness and readiness. She likened her warning to carrying an umbrella in case of rain—not because one fears the rain, but simply to be prepared. 

“If nothing happens, that’s a good thing,” she remarked.

Whether one chooses to believe in prophetic dreams or scientific data, the core message remains clear: being prepared for the world’s uncertainties is always wise.