Image of 'Japanese volcano spewing lava and ash' is AI-generated

"Japan's Shinmoedake volcano has erupted," reads part of the Sinhala-language caption of an image shared on Facebook on July 4, 2025.

"A minor explosion was seen and due to this a plume of ash emerged 3,000 metres into the sky, and the cities across Kagoshima and Miyazaki are covered in dense smoke." 

The image supposedly shows lava and thick grey smoke spewing from the volcanic eruption. In the foreground there are red and white cars, and drivers and passengers who appear to have stepped out of the vehicles to witness the eruption. 

It surfaced after Mount Shinmoedake, a volcano in the Kirishima mountain range bordering Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures in southwestern Japan, erupted on June 22 (archived link).

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Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on July 14, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The same image was shared in similar posts elsewhere on Facebook.

"Oh please, may no one in all of Japan face any trouble! May everyone be safe!" reads a comment on one of the posts.

Another said: "May no harm come to all those in Japan."

While Mount Shinmoedake has continued to emit smoke since its July 22 eruption, with plumes reportedly reaching 5,000 metres high, the image circulating online does show the volcano (archived link).

The image does not correspond to livestream footage of the volcano on the YouTube channels of local broadcasters UMK TV Miyazaki or MBC viewed on July 21 (archived here and here).

The Japan Times reported on July 9 that the country's meteorological agency had restricted access to the mountain, and warned that a "large amount of volcanic ash and lava flows will be expected if a full-scale magmatic eruption occurs" (archived link).

Moreover, inconsistencies in the picture suggest it was created with the help of AI.

Visual anomalies

A closer analysis of the falsely shared image shows the doors on a white car in the foreground are positioned incorrectly on the vehicle and the people standing on the road appear to be missing limbs.

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Screenshot of the falsely shared image with visual inconsistencies magnified by AFP

A subsequent keyword search led to a YouTube video titled "Japanese volcano erupts, spewing lava", which contains the falsely shared image, posted on July 4 (archived link).

The video, which was shared on a channel that posts AI-generated content, contains additional visual inconsistencies.

For example, a white car enters the bottom of the frame at the three-second mark and crashes into the vehicle in front before immediately disappearing.

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Screenshots showing the disappearing white car, magnified by AFP

In reply to a comment on the video, the user also indicated it was created using AI.

While generative AI technology is rapidly improving, visual inconsistencies persist and are the best way to identify fabricated content.