The Japanese government warns of possible earthquakes, but urges people not to believe unfounded predictions in manga comics.

Japanese authorities have issued a warning of possible strong earthquakes in the southwest of the country after a recent 5.5-magnitude quake. Although there have been more than 1,000 quakes in the past two weeks, officials urged citizens to rely on scientific evidence rather than manga rumors that have sparked panic. Artist Ryo Tatsuki, the author of a comic strip interpreted as a prediction of a catastrophe, clarified that he is not a prophet.