Notes
bartender バーテンダー;
startle 驚かす;
yell 叫ぶ;

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One day, a turtle walks into a bar, slowly climbs up to the counter, and says, “Can I have a glass of water?”
The bartender is startled and kicks the turtle out.
Two weeks later, the turtle comes back, climbs up to the bar, and yells, “What did you do that for?!”
日本語:
ある日、カメがバーに入ってきて、ゆっくりカウンターに登って「お水を一杯ください」と言いました。
バーテンダーはびっくりして、カメを外に蹴り出しました。
2週間後、カメがまたバーに来て、怒った顔でこう言いました：「さっきのは何だったんだよ！」
(この話の笑い所、わかりましたか？それはカメが遅すぎて、なぜか尋ねても二週間後になるから。)
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Notes:
rumor: うわさ
disaster: 災害
explode: 爆発する
Japan’s weather agency: 日本の気象庁
fool: だます（うそを信じさせる)

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A popular manga called “Watashi ga Mita Mirai: Kanzenban” led to a big rumor that a huge disaster would happen in Japan on July 5, 2025. The manga talks about a dream where an underwater volcano explodes and causes a giant tsunami, much bigger than the Nankai Trough earthquake that experts have warned about.

Even though Japan’s weather agency said this is not true and there is no scientific proof, many people in other countries, like Hong Kong and Taiwan, became scared. Some people canceled their trips to Japan, and airlines cut back on flights.

Experts say this kind of rumor can cause real problems, like people rushing to buy things or feeling panicked. Sometimes, people want a big change in society, and that can make them believe scary stories more easily.

The real danger might not be the disaster itself, but how people react to rumors. We need to think carefully and not be fooled by things that sound scary but have no proof.
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