Japan braces for more quakes, authorities dismiss doomsday hype

Japan warned of more strong earthquakes near its southwestern islands after over 1,000 tremors in two weeks, including a 5.5‑magnitude quake that forced some evacuations. Officials urged the public to ignore rumors of an imminent disaster fueled by a manga that some interpret as predicting a major quake this month. The Japan Meteorological Agency stressed that earthquakes cannot be precisely predicted, CNN has reported. The rumors have even affected tourism, with fewer arrivals from Hong Kong, despite overall record visitor numbers this year.