The head of Japan's meteorological agency on Friday dismissed widespread rumors of a major earthquake in Japan this summer as unscientific and a "hoax," urging people not to worry because even the most advanced science still cannot predict any quake or tsunami. "At the moment, it is still impossible to predict an earthquake with specific timing, location, or its magnitude," Japan Meteorological Agency Director General Ryoichi Nomura told reporters. "Any such prediction is a hoax, and there is absolutely no need to worry about such disinformation."
Nomura was referring to rumors in Hong Kong and other Asian cities of a major earthquake or a tsunami in July in Japan, which have led to flight cancellations and reductions in service, affecting tourism, the AP reports. He said it was "unfortunate" that many people are affected by the disinformation, though he sympathized with the sense of unease that people tend to develop toward something invisible. "In Japan, an earthquake can occur anytime, anywhere," Nomura said. "So I ask everyone to take this opportunity to ensure your preparedness for a major quake."
The quake rumors are based on a comic book, CNN reports. An image of a dream journal entry on the cover of manga artist Ryo Tatsuki's The Future I Saw, published in 1999, predicted a major disaster in March 2011. Her work gained new attention after a devastating quake and tsunami hit Japan that month. In her "complete edition" of the work, published in 2021, she predicts that an enormous tsunami will hit Japan on July 5 this year after a crack opens in the seabed between Japan and the Philippines, though she says readers shouldn't be "overly swayed" by her dreams. A popular feng shui expert in Hong Kong has also predicted that a quake will hit between June and August, Japan Today reports. (More Japan stories.)
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