Unverified Information on Tsunami Spreads on Social Media; Japan Govt Urges Caution over Misinformation

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:37 JST, July 31, 2025

False footage and unverified information spread on social media following tsunami warnings issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency on Wednesday, prompting the government to urge people to remain cautious about such content.

Footage showing a massive tsunami, taller than a high-rise building, crashing onto the Japanese coast was posted on X. The video, which appeared to be generated by the AI, had been viewed about 330,000 times as of 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

A prophecy predicting that a disaster would occur on July 5 had been circulating in Japan and China. After tsunami warnings were issued, some people posted claims saying that the prophecy had come true.

The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry posted a message on X urging people to remain cautious about false information and misinformation, saying, “There is a risk of unverified information being distributed on the internet, such as claims that have no scientific basis.”