Misinformation, including AI-generated material, has been circulating online in the aftermath of the July earthquake in Kumamoto, pushing political views and conspiracy theories.
Some social media accounts claimed the earthquake itself had never happened, citing shaky NHK footage as “fake.” Others claimed large white clouds that hovered above the city were proof that the quake was ‘man-made,’ with various posts on X being shared thousands of times.
In other languages, AI-generated images of a smoldering Aeon mall were distributed while other widely shared posts claimed the explosion at the mall, which is believed to have been caused by damaged gas pipes, was a hoax or that there was a coverup underway.
Politically-motivated disinformation was also prevalent online, largely targeting foreign nationals.
The story of young Vietnamese individuals pitching in to rescue an elderly woman trapped under rubble was called fake news by conspiracy-touting far-right accounts, who claimed the story, which was widely reported among Japanese media, was pro-immigration propaganda.
Other accounts alleged bad behavior from foreign nationals – including robbery and arson — sharing contextless video footage of individuals sitting outside a convenience store with what accounts claimed were stolen onigiri.
On Threads, a man who said he had filmed the original video, said the onigiri were emergency supplies distributed to Japanese and foreign employees affected by the quake. He stated that he had removed the video and requested that others stop sharing it, and reported it to police over concerns about misinformation circulating around foreign nationals.
“I have truly learned a lot from this experience,” he wrote of the video being repurposed to push anti-immigration sentiments.
The speedy support pledged by Taiwan to Japan in the aftermath, including an offer to dispatch on the ground support if requested, also led to the spread of misinformation.
Images purporting to show a logo worn by Taiwanese support forces, who were said to be on the ground in Kumamoto in the aftermath, were widely shared by influencers on Instagram and X.
In reality, The Japan Times found the patches are actually pre-order products available to buy online from a Taiwanese company that states they are donating the funds raised to the Kumamoto Disaster Relief Special Account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During large scale disasters and conflicts, fake news often circulates online.
Following the earthquake in Kumamoto on April 14, 2016, an infamous fake story was shared that a lion had escaped from the local zoo and was prowling the neighborhood. Police arrested a 20-year-old man for sharing the falsehood that had caused distress to residents, but charges were later dropped after he apologized.