Misinformation about a powerful earthquake that struck Aomori Prefecture and parts of Japan's Tohoku region late Monday is circulating on social media platforms like X, including claims that the quake was artificial. Fake videos apparently created with generative AI are also going viral. The Japan Meteorological Agency and Cabinet Office urge people to avoid spreading such disinformation to prevent confusion.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck northern Japan late on December 9, 2025, mainly affecting Aomori Prefecture and other Tohoku areas, with tsunami waves observed in Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures. Immediately after the event, posts on X claimed "an artificial earthquake has occurred" and that users had "learned about a government conspiracy," spreading rapidly across the platform.
On Threads, a baseless pre-quake prediction warning of a possible earthquake on Monday drew attention, with some users praising the poster's supposed foresight. The Japan Meteorological Agency stated, "The government does not announce earthquake predictions, including the date of a megaquake," dismissing such claims.
TikTok saw uploads of old tsunami footage misrepresented as recent events, alongside generative AI-generated fake news videos alleging the epicenter was in northern Tokyo Bay and that a record-sized tsunami hit Miyagi Prefecture. The platform's operator advises users to check disaster-related content against reliable sources.
Similar issues arose after the January 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, where fake pleas for help from supposed victims circulated, and following the 2016 Kumamoto quake, a hoax about a lion escaping from a zoo went viral. Authorities highlight that false information during disasters remains a significant societal problem, calling for restraint to curb public confusion.