The post has been shared more than 680 times. Other Facebook pages like here, here and here have also shared the photos with the same caption.
The claim emerged days after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan on August 8, 2024, although no major damage was reported and only relatively small tsunami waves lashed the coast (archived link).
Japan recently issued a warning that a “mega earthquake” could potentially cause colossal damage and loss of life. (archived link).
The country lies on four major tectonic plates and is hit by about 1,500 earthquakes every year, most of which are small.
However, the photos shared on Facebook are from before the August 8 earthquake.
Earthquake in January 2024
The photo top left in the collage shows a man in camouflage uniform surrounded by debris falling from damaged buildings.
A combination of reverse image and keyword searches revealed that it was published from Komatsu Air Base of the Japanese Air Force on the social media platform X (archived link).
The Subtitles The post, dated January 7, 2024, said the images were taken as police assessed earthquake damage in the city of Wajima on Japan’s Noto Peninsula.
The photo was also Including in a Disaster relief mission report published on the same day by the Japanese Ministry of Defense (archived link).
Below is a screenshot comparison of the false post (left) and the photo posted by Komatsu Air Base (right):
The Noto Peninsula was hit by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on January 1. In port communities such as Wajima and Suzu (archived link), streets were filled with mud, houses were razed and boats sank.
2022 Japan Ruck
The Photo showing a man looking at a road that looks like rows of concrete slabs was recorded from another earthquake in Japan over two years ago.
On January 22, 2022, a strong earthquake struck offshore in Oita and Miyazaki prefectures in southern Japan, but no major damage was reported (archived link).
Based on the reverse image search, the image published by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun on January 23, 2022 and was taken by photographer Yoshiko Hasebe (archived link).
The caption says that this is the wall of a house that collapsed in Oita as a result of the earthquake.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the fake post (left) and the photo published by Yomiuri Shimbun (right):
The Image at bottom left of collage showing a collapsed gate with debris and rubble scattered on the streetwas attributed to Kyodo News on January 22, 2022 (archived link). The caption says it was taken after the Oita earthquake.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the fake post (left) and the Kyodo News photo (right):
The photo of the Road with cracks Was taken during the earthquake on New Year’s Day 2024, while the image of the raging waves Was filmed after the tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011, as revealed by previous debunkings here and here.
AFP has already verified false information about the recent earthquake in Japan here and here.
