Did a 1999 comic predict Japan's tsunami? Eerie ‘New Baba Vanga' prophecy goes viral

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

After a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Japan's Hokkaido and triggered a tsunami, with warnings issued as far as California, Chile, Ecuador, New Zealand and French Polynesia, an eerie prediction by a Japanese manga artist has sent social media into a frenzy. Ryo Tatsuki, who has been dubbed the 'New Baba Vanga' of Japan, has made a series of predictions that many believe have come true, including the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, the death of Princess Diana and Freddie Mercury, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Ryo Tatsuki, in her 1999 manga, predicted a major disaster would strike southern Japan on July 5, 2025.(X/MarioNawfal)
However, the one that has shocked many across the globe is the one she made in her 1999 manga, "The Future I Saw." In it, she predicted a major disaster would strike southern Japan on July 5, 2025, and wipe out Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
This year, as the date neared, many manga fans shared anxieties growing around the prediction coming true. As the buzz increased on social media, hashtags like #July5Disaster began trending and flight bookings dropped by 83% from late June to early July.
However, now weeks after July 5, an eerily similar disaster has struck Japan and Tatsuki's fans are convinced that her manga warned of the massive earthquake and tsunami.
"So are we not going to talk about how Ryo Tatsuki literally predicted the tsunami possibility for July 2025?" said one user.
"Ryo Tatsuki, dubbed the 'Japanese Baba Vanga,' warned of a July 2025 mega-tsunami. Today, July 30, a powerful M8.8 quake off Kamchatka triggered real tsunami waves across Japan & the Pacific. Prophecy or coincidence? Science says no link, but the timing is eerie," wrote a second user.
Another declared, "Ryo Tatsuki was right on Tsunami. New Baba Vanga's July Prediction came true. A massive 8.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering 4m high tsunami waves. It was the worst quake in decades!"
While Japanese officials and scientists had urged the public to disregard her predictions, recent events have forced many to rethink whether her claims are entirely unfounded, even though they lack a scientific basis.