Old tsunami Japan footage resurfaces in false posts after earthquake in 2024

Published on August 19, 2024 at 06:58
3 min read
By Harshana SILVA, AFP Sri Lanka

Clips showing a huge tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 have been viewed tens of thousands of times with a false claim they were filmed after an earthquake rocked the East Asian country in August 2024. Japanese authorities said only minor waves were recorded following the quake on August 8 and no major damage was reported.

"Tsunami that hit Japan yesterday," read a Sinhala-language caption alongside the video on Facebook on August 14, 2024.

It shows waves sweeping boats and cars away in a coastal area while some people watch on from higher ground. Sirens can be heard in the background.

"Tsunami that hit Japan yesterday -- may everyone and all animals be safe," text overlaid on the video read.

Screenshot of the false video captured on August 15, 2024

The false claim surfaced after a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit southern Japan on August 8, but no major damage was reported and only relatively minor tsunami waves lashed the coast (archived link).

Japanese authorities warned about a potential "megaquake" after the jolt before it was lifted a week later.

The same video was viewed more than 117,000 times alongside the claim on YouTube here and here. Similar false posts were shared here and here on Facebook.

However, the video shows the tsunami triggered by a massive earthquake that hit the East Asian country in 2011.

Old footage

At least two scenes from the false video can be seen in a clip aired by Japanese broadcaster TBS News, affiliated with the Japan News Network (JNN) (archived link).

The TBS video was published on February 25, 2021 with a caption that said it showed archive footage of the tsunami that hit the coast of Miyako city on March 11, 2011.

"Valuable footage from that time at JNN stations will be archived to raise disaster prevention awareness and pass on the memories of that time to future generations," its caption read.

Two vehicles were shown in a parking lot as it slowly filled with water at the 43-second mark before dozens of vehicles and blue containers were washed away at the one-minute 47-second mark.

The scenes matched the 12-second and 46-second marks of the false video, flipped horizontally from the earlier footage.

Below are screenshot comparisons of those scenes in the false video (left) and the TBS News footage (right):

Screenshot comparisons of those scenes in the false video (left) and in TBS News' video (right)

Similarly, another scene from the false video matches a clip published by Japanese broadcaster Minaminihon Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) on March 11, 2023 (archived link).

The MBC clip was aired to mark the 12th anniversary of the 2011 earthquake, the report said.

Several people were filmed watching the devastation from higher ground at the 42-second mark of the MBC video, which matches the scene at the false video's 54-second mark.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the false video (left) and the MBC footage (right):

Screenshot comparison of the false video (left) and the MBC video (right)

The location in the footage circulated online generally corresponds with an image tagged at a pier in Miyako on Google Maps (archived link) in 2021, as shown in the screenshot comparison below:

The video in the false posts (left) corresponds with imagery of a pier in Miyako on Google Maps (right)

AFP has debunked other false claims related to the earthquake in August 2024 in Japan here and here.

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