Volcano erupts in Japan as manga artist Ryo Tatsuki's ‘Mega Disaster' prophecy stokes fears and echoes Baba Vanga
Ryo Tatsuki
, often referred to as a modern-day fortune teller and likened to
Baba Vanga
. That prophecy, which foretold catastrophe in early June, resurfaced on social media weeks before a real-world chain of seismic events unfolded.
Mount Shinmoedake
, part of the Kirishima volcanic range in Kyushu, erupted on Wednesday, July 2, in one of its most powerful outbursts in years. The blast, recorded around 3:30 p.m. JST, sent thick ash plumes skyward and blanketed parts of the
Miyazaki
and Kagoshima prefectures.
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Japan's Meteorological Agency has since warned residents to stay indoors, citing risks of falling rocks and pyroclastic flows within a 2-mile radius of the mountain.
Just one day earlier, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Tokara Islands, further heightening public unease.
Live Events
Alert was raised before the blast
The Shinmoedake eruption wasn't entirely unanticipated. On June 27, nearly a week before the explosion, authorities raised the volcano's alert level to 3 after detecting swelling beneath the surface and a spike in volcanic gases.
At a government committee meeting held just 24 hours before the eruption, experts confirmed that while no fresh magma was present, an eruption involving magma couldn't be ruled out.
Shimizu Hiroshi, chair of the volcano research committee, cautioned that the situation required close monitoring, though the panel had not deemed an emergency meeting necessary at the time.
The 2025 prophecy that went viral
The events have reignited interest in The
Future I Saw
, a 1999 book by manga artist Ryo Tatsuki, based on what she described as 'prophetic dreams.'
One of the book's most talked-about predictions was of a massive natural disaster set to strike Japan on June 5, 2025. Although the date passed without incident, the forecast triggered widespread attention online. It even led to a dip in tourist flight bookings to the country.
Tatsuki herself has urged readers not to take her visions too literally, but the eerie timing of recent events has caused a stir among believers and skeptics alike.
While the prophecy came from Japanese manga artist Ryo Tatsuki, the public reaction and panic it sparked echoed the kind of mystique often associated with Bulgarian clairvoyant Baba Vanga, whose name frequently trends during global disasters.
Past eruptions and pop culture links
Mount Shinmoedake has a long and fiery history. It last erupted in 2018 with minor activity, but its most disruptive event came in 2011 when an explosion triggered mass evacuations and flight cancellations.
Interestingly, the volcano is also known for its role in pop culture; it served as the setting for the villain's lair in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice.
On Sunday, June 29, days before the main eruption, a smaller plume measuring about 640 feet in height was seen rising from the crater.
Authorities say they continue round-the-clock surveillance of the mountain as over 900,000 residents live within the affected zone.
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