This Video Shows the 2011 Japan Tsunami, Not the Recent Earthquake
The Claim
Scary visuals from suzu city, Let's pray for Japan. Japan Tsunami.
News posted on
Emerging story
A viral video on social media platform X claiming to show a tsunami hitting Japan's north coast earlier. The shaky footage depicts churning waves slamming into coastal structures, with debris such as boats and cars tossed about in the turbulent water.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading. The video is outdated, as it was published in 2011, depicting the earthquake that occurred in Japan at that time.
Devastating 2011 Japan Tsunami Destroys Boats and Cars
According to reports, a massive earthquake struck Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a disastrous tsunami that claimed the lives of 18,000 people who were either dead or missing.
The viral video was uploaded by the Associated Press on their YouTube channel on March 13, 2011. The footage shows a tsunami wave slamming into the Japanese town of Miyako on Friday. The wave crashes over the seawall, sweeping away everything in its path, including cars and boats.
Central Japan Hit by Devastating Earthquake, Prompts Tsunami Warnings
On Monday, January 1, 2024, central Japan was struck by a powerful earthquake, resulting in the destruction of numerous buildings, widespread power outages affecting tens of thousands of homes, and urgent evacuations from certain coastal areas.
With a preliminary magnitude of 7.6, the earthquake produced approximately 1-meter-high waves along Japan's western coast and neighboring South Korea. Authorities cautioned about the potential for larger waves.
In response to this alarming situation, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami warnings for Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama prefectures. Initially, Ishikawa faced a significant tsunami warning, the first since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. However, this warning was subsequently downgraded.
Read More
These Scenes Are Outdated and Do Not Depict the Japan Earthquake
Video of the Japan Tsunami Recirculated After the Turkey-Syria Earthquake