The Japan government on Saturday warned the residents of possible earthquakes in waters southwest of its main islands. It also asked the public to not believe in unfounded claims of a major disaster in the region.
Did Japan have an Earthquake?
Japan experienced a 5.5-magnitude earthquake off the tip of the southernmost island of Kyushu. The Japanese authorities evacuated some residents who were close to the epicenter on Friday.
"With our current scientific knowledge, it's difficult to predict the exact time, place or scale of an earthquake," said Ayataka Ebita, director of the Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake and tsunami monitoring division, after a 5.4-magnitude quake shook the area again on Saturday, reported Reuters.
The earthquake was one of the 1000 tremors that the islands of Kagoshima prefecture felt in the past two weeks. The quakes have sparked rumours stemming from a 1995 novel.
Who Predicted the Earthquake in Japan?
The reason behind the rumour is a Manga comic titled ‘The Future I Saw’. It describes a prophecy that on July 5, Japan would be struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami that will be powerful enough to impact neighbouring countries too. The comic, created by Ryo Tatsuki, predicts a tsunami that would be three times bigger than a normal one. The rumours are being fuelled by the fact that one of her predictions about a disaster in 2011 had already come true.
The rumours have led to a dip in the number of travellers in Japan. Arrivals from Hong Kong, where the rumours have circulated widely, were down 11% in May from the same month last year, according to the latest data.
Japan is one of the most active areas in the world for earthquakes. The nation accounts for one-fifth of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.
