Image reproduced from 公視新聞

Recently, a comic titled 'What I Saw in the Future' has been circulating on the internet, claiming that a disaster will occur in July 2025, and specifically predicting a major earthquake and tsunami on July 5, 2023. This has triggered panic on social media, particularly among populations in Hong Kong and other areas.

While the publisher and author of the comic, Ryoshu Ryu, has clarified that she is not a prophet, many individuals continue to believe in these predictions. As a result, some people are reconsidering their summer travel plans to Japan. According to reports, Steve Huen, the director of EGL Tours, stated that their business for trips to Japan has decreased by half due to these rumors, significantly impacting their company.

Additionally, Cathay Dragon announced that due to a sharp decline in demand for flights from Hong Kong to Tokushima, it would indefinitely suspend the route starting in September, a direct consequence of the circulating rumors.

In response to these predictions, several earthquake experts have stepped forward to refute them. Notably, seismologist Robert Geller emphasized, 'Even scientifically based earthquake predictions are impossible.' Over his more than 50 years of research, he insists that none of his predictions have ever been accurate, highlighting a significant disparity between the comic's predictions and actual scientific reality.

Japan, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire and prone to seismic activity, has indeed experienced recent earthquakes near the Tokara Islands in southern Kyushu. However, experts stress that such activities are part of natural phenomena and cannot be equated with the situations depicted in the comic.

While predicting earthquakes is difficult, experts advise the public to remain calm, as natural movements do not necessarily indicate impending disasters. In the face of such rumors, citizens should exercise rational judgment and avoid allowing baseless predictions to disrupt their lives and travel plans.