An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 struck islands in southwestern Japan on Saturday. The Japan Meteorological Agency informed that the quake hit the Tokara island chain early morning at a depth of about 19 kilometers, and added that no tsunami warning was issued.
The news agency IANS reported, citing Japanese media outlet Kyodo News, that the Japanese weather agency has warned that strong earthquakes are expected to continue for some time. It added that the quakes could lead to collapses of houses and landslides.
Is Japan Earthquake Prone?
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. It also accounts for about 18 percent of the world’s seismic activity.
The nation is situated at the convergence of four major tectonic plates along the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’. It is home to around 125 million people, and the country experiences nearly 1,500 earthquakes annually.
However, the spotlight returns to a viral manga prediction that appeared to foresee the disaster well in advance.
Viral Manga Prediction
A prediction from ‘The Future I Saw’, a 1999 manga by Japanese artist Ryo Tatsuki, about a major disaster occurring in July, specifically on a Saturday, has been circulating widely on social media.
Several X users cited the prediction made in the book regarding a disaster that Japan would witness in July.
Japanese Weather Agency’s Clarification
Japan’s weather agency clarified that the earthquake had no link to a disaster prediction made by the Manga that had gone viral on social media.
As per IANS, an official of the agency, Ayataka Ebita, while addressing a press conference in Tokyo, said that the current science cannot accurately predict earthquakes, and any event that seems to align with the manga author’s prediction is ‘coincidental’.
“It is absolutely a coincidence. There is no causal connection. In Japan, earthquakes can happen at any time. Please be prepared always,” said the official.
Precautions Before Earthquake
On Friday morning, residents of the village of Toshima on Akusekijima, part of the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima prefecture, left by ship, heading to the city of Kagoshima.
The residents are expected to stay in temporary accommodation in the city.
An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 rattled the Tokara island chain on Thursday, following over 1,000 felt tremors in the area in nearly two weeks, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Following the quake, local authorities in Toshima, consisting of seven inhabited islands and five uninhabited ones, pledged to evacuate residents willing to leave Akusekijima.
