Ryo Tatsuki’s obscure 1999 manga predicted a ‘tsunami in 2025.’ After the Kamchatka quake, believers are calling her the ‘New Baba Vanga’—while experts urge calm.
BY PC Bureau
A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has reignited global curiosity—and concern—around the predictions of reclusive Japanese manga artist and self-proclaimed clairvoyant, Ryo Tatsuki. Her 1999 sketches, which eerily depict a “great tsunami in 2025”, are drawing intense scrutiny online after Friday’s seismic jolt raised temporary tsunami warnings across the Pacific.
The tremor, which struck near Kamchatka on Friday evening, briefly triggered a tsunami advisory in Japan and parts of the U.S. West Coast. Though no large waves reached shore, the timing of the quake—in the very year Tatsuki reportedly foresaw a devastating tsunami—has stoked conspiracy theories and led some to liken her to Baba Vanga, the blind Bulgarian mystic whose apocalyptic forecasts gained fame posthumously.
In one of her widely circulated illustrations, Tatsuki wrote in 1999: “A big tsunami will come in 2025. People will be confused, frightened, and overwhelmed. It will be a year of great change.” Many netizens believe the Kamchatka event is the beginning of that prophecy.
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Tatsuki’s sketchbook, which was largely forgotten for decades, began recirculating on Japanese forums in early 2024 after her predictions for previous years—such as a pandemic-like event and freak weather—seemed to eerily align with global events.
Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok are now flooded with translated versions of her work. The hashtag #RyoTatsukiProphecy trended in Japan and parts of Southeast Asia following the earthquake, with users expressing a mix of fascination and dread.
🇯🇵 JAPAN ROCKED BY QUAKE – JUST 48 HOURS BEFORE VIRAL MANGA DOOMSDAY DATE
A 5.5 earthquake just struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands, triggering an evacuation order for all residents.
No tsunami warning has been issued. No major damage reported.
But the internet is not staying… https://t.co/XAY9LhPla2 pic.twitter.com/0XCU5ZtL0J
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 3, 2025
Despite the buzz, seismologists have urged caution. “There is no scientific basis to link a manga illustration with real-time tectonic activity,” said Dr. Naoya Matsumoto, a geophysicist at the University of Tokyo. “Japan is located in one of the world’s most seismically active zones. Events like these, while alarming, are part of a known geological cycle.”
Still, many find it hard to dismiss the uncanny accuracy of Tatsuki’s timeline.
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Tatsuki herself has remained completely out of public view since the early 2000s. According to reports, she withdrew from commercial manga publishing after claiming she began to experience disturbing visions of the future. Her last known appearance was at a niche manga convention in 2003, after which she reportedly cut ties with the industry.
Who Is Ryo Tatsuki?
Ryo Tatsuki is a reclusive Japanese manga artist who claims her dreams are glimpses into the future. She began documenting these visions in the 1990s, culminating in The Future I Saw, a short manga containing drawings and descriptions of political events, natural disasters, and technological upheaval.
BIG BREAKING 🚨 – Baba Vanga’s Chilling Predictions for 2025 Resurface Amid Global Unrest
FEAR GRIPS SOCIAL MEDIA: An 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula headlines a new cycle of doomsday speculation.
Internet abuzz as a 1999 manga prophecy by Ryo… pic.twitter.com/sB080DLpj5
— Indian Ranger 🇮🇳 (@India_Ranger) July 30, 2025
She never claimed prophetic powers but insisted her visions were involuntary. This has drawn comparisons to Baba Vanga, the blind mystic who gained international fame for her cryptic yet often chillingly accurate predictions.
Baba Vanga’s Most Talked-About Predictions
- 9/11 Attacks: In 1989, Vanga described “steel birds attacking the American brothers,” interpreted by many as a premonition of the September 11 attacks.
- Kursk Submarine Disaster: She once said “Kursk will be covered in water, and the whole world will weep,” seen as a prediction of the 2000 submarine tragedy that killed 118 Russian sailors.
- Indira Gandhi’s Assassination: Vanga spoke of a woman in saffron “surrounded by fire and smoke,” which some have linked to the 1984 assassination of India’s Prime Minister.
- Natural Disasters in 2022: Vanga predicted extreme climate events, including droughts in Europe and floods in Asia and Africa—many of which did materialize.
- 44th US President: She foresaw the election of a Black U.S. President—fulfilled by Barack Obama in 2008.
Renewed Interest in “The Future I Saw”
The reemergence of Tatsuki’s work has intrigued conspiracy theorists, skeptics, and manga fans alike. Though not widely available outside Japan, scanned versions of her 1999 manga have resurfaced on Reddit, TikTok, and Twitter (X), where users compare past pages to real-world disasters.
Some believe her predictions are coincidences fueled by confirmation bias, while others view her work as an artistic warning humanity continues to overlook.
