The fear generated by these rumors has led to a notable decrease in travelers from Hong Kong, with arrivals dropping by 11% in May 2025 compared to the previous year.

On July 5, 2025, Japan's government issued a warning regarding the potential for more strong earthquakes in the waters southwest of its main islands, urging the public to ignore unfounded doomsday predictions.

This warning comes in the wake of over 1,000 tremors recorded in Kagoshima Prefecture over the past two weeks, which have fueled rumors of an impending disaster linked to a comic book.

The comic in question, 'The Future I Saw' by artist Ryo Tatsuki, has sparked concern, but Tatsuki has clarified that she does not claim to predict the future and is not a prophet.

The situation escalated following a magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Kyushu on July 3, 2025, which prompted authorities to evacuate residents from nearby remote islands.

Despite these recent tremors and the associated fears, Japan has experienced record visitor numbers in 2025, with April seeing 3.9 million travelers, the highest for any month.

Japan is known for its seismic activity, experiencing about one-fifth of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

Ayataka Ebita, director of the Japan Meteorological Agency, emphasized the unpredictability of earthquakes and the importance of relying on scientific evidence rather than speculative theories.