"Kumamoto Earthquake Prediction Was Accurate" Rumors Spread Widely, Complete with Fabricated Map Images

Immediately following a magnitude 7.1 strong earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, yesterday (the 28th), unverified fake news and rumors have been rapidly spreading across social media.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 29th, various conspiracy-theory posts emerged one after another on major social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) right after the quake, claiming that "the earthquake was predicted in advance" or that "it was an artificially generated earthquake."

In particular, a post from an account featuring a map image and claiming that "a prediction was announced and the location was accurately hit" surpassed 3.4 million views.

Regarding this, Furuta Daisuke, editor-in-chief of the Japan Fact Check Center, pointed out that "there is a high possibility that fabricated images or videos themed around future events, such as the explosion of a large Aeon Mall or damage to Kumamoto Castle, will be posted."

He urged the public, saying, "When encountering sensational information, please verify its authenticity through announcements from public institutions or reports from news outlets, and do not share unverified information."

In Japan, fake news has caused significant social chaos during past major disasters as well.

At the time of the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016, false information was circulated claiming that "a lion had escaped from the zoo," and during the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024, false rescue requests were left by unauthorizedly misusing real addresses where no rescue targets existed, causing confusion for authorities.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.