The much-hyped 4:18 a.m. “Doomsday Quake” never came. A viral manga prophecy predicting a megaquake and tsunami off the Japanese coast shook the nation with fear—but when the time came, there was only silence. Yet, experts say the danger is very real. Japan sits on the volatile Ring of Fire and experiences over 1,500 tremors annually. While Tatsuki’s prediction—hailed by fans as Japan’s “Baba Vanga”—turned out to be false, it has reignited debates around earthquake preparedness, misinformation, and disaster resilience. Political parties have begun promising better infrastructure and seismic response measures ahead of national elections. The 2011 Tohoku disaster still haunts the collective memory, reminding the world that sometimes, the warnings are real.
