People in Japan are scared for what lies ahead, and people outside the country are rethinking their plans to visit, spooked by the latest edition of the Manga comic book, which many have interpreted as a doomsday warning for July 5, which is Saturday, reports Hindustan Times.
Over two weeks, 1,000 earthquakes have rocked Japan, but there has been no tsunami warning or damages anywhere because of it.
While the government has urged people not to give in to unfounded predictions, it has also warned of more, possibly strong earthquakes in waters southwest of its main islands, reported news agency Reuters.
"With our current scientific knowledge, it's difficult to predict the exact time, place or scale of an earthquake," said Ayataka Ebita, director of the Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake and tsunami monitoring division.
People have been spooked by the multiple earthquakes, more so because of their timing, just days ahead of the terrifying "doomsday prediction" of the Manga edition.
"It's very scary to even fall asleep. It feels like it's always shaking," a resident was quoted as saying by the BBC.
The Tokara Islands, that house around 700 people, are among regions in Japan most affected by multiple tremors. Many islands here lack quick access to hospitals too.
Residents have said that they can hear a huge "roar" from the ocean before the earthquakes hit the region, describing the situation as "eerie".
"The quakes start with a jolt from below, then the house sways. It's sickening," Isamu Sakamoto, a resident on the Akusekijima island was quoted as saying by the publication.
Meanwhile, tourism has also seen a significant decline in Japan, a country that saw a record 3.9 million travellers in April this year. The most decline in tourism has been from Hong Kong, down 11 per cent year-on-year. Several flights headed to Japan from Hong Kong have also been cancelled, with rumours of a doomsday floating.
What is the Manga prediction?
Manga is a very popular comic book series, which many claim has accurately predicted disasters in the past.
In 2011, a magnitude 9.0 quake hit Japan that set off a tsunami, killing nearly 20,000 people, a disaster many say was predicted in the first edition of the manga in 1999.
A similar scare is rampant this time around as well, with many predicting that the latest manga edition warns against a catastrophic event, likely to befall Japan on July 5, 2025.
However, Ryo Tatsuki, the artist behind the manga titled 'The Future I Saw', has also downplayed speculation around the latest edition's "predictions", saying she is "not a prophet".
Bd-pratidin English/TR
