THE Japanese government has warned of the possibility of more strong earthquakes near the southwestern waters of its main islands, following a magnitude 5.5 quake off the southern tip of Kyushu last Thursday.
The tremor was powerful enough to disrupt movement and prompt the evacuation of some residents from remote islands near the epicentre. The region, particularly Kagoshima Prefecture, has recorded over 1,000 tremors in the past two weeks.
However, amid mounting concern, authorities have urged the public not to believe unscientific disaster predictions, including those circulating online from a decades-old manga comic.
“We call on the public to understand the situation based on scientific evidence,” said Ayataka Ebita, Director of the Earthquake and Tsunami Monitoring Division at the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), during a press conference on Saturday.
Ebita emphasised that, “Based on current scientific knowledge, it is difficult to accurately predict the timing, location, or magnitude of earthquakes.”
Recent speculation was fuelled by resurfaced claims linked to the 1999 manga *The Future I Saw* by Ryo Tatsuki. The comic, reprinted in 2021, gained attention after some readers interpreted it as predicting a major disaster would strike Japan on Saturday.
In response, the publisher released a statement clarifying that Tatsuki does not consider herself a prophet.
Officials reiterated that while seismic activity in the region is being closely monitored, public attention should remain focused on verified information rather than rumours or fictional accounts. July 6, 2025
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