2021video from Indonesia shared linking to Japan earthquake

Viral video is from Indonesia and it dates back to 2021. 

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck central Japan on 1 January 2024 afternoon, collapsing buildings, causing fires and triggering tsunami alerts as far away as eastern Russia, prompting orders for residents to evacuate affected coastal areas of Japan. More than 60 people were killed and triggered tsunami waves more than a metre high, sparked a major fire and tore apart roads.

Amid this, a viral video showing a man standing near the coast with his arms spread wide, a woman alongside him shooting the waves using a selfie stick. A few second later, they are all washed away by the waves. The users who shared the video claim it is from Japan.

Archive link

Fact Check-

We conducted a reverse image search on Google with the key frames of the viral video to find the original source. As a result, we found a report by Tribune News published on 13 December, 2021, mentioned that “The woman known as Rina Bono deliberately created content challenging the waves on the beach in Indonesia.  Rina made content about challenging the waves but ended up rolling and rolling in the bushes. Rina, who managed to get back on her feet after falling, immediately took the camera and continued creating content.”

The woman wanted to promote the Bono tourist destination on the Kampar River, Teluk Meranti. Rina and several other You Tubers in Teluk Meranti always immortalize this natural phenomenon which has gone global with various Vlog content.

This is a local tourist attraction in Indonesia. The video was taken during a Bono wave, also known as a tidal bore, in Riau. The tidal bores were a common tourist attraction near the Kampar River in Riau, where the video was shot.

In a video that went viral on social media, Rina was seen standing on the beach and then running, it has been shared by many social media accounts. You can see the complete video below

The Facebook page of Daily mail also posted this video under the title Bono tidal wave sweeps up woman in Indonesia

It confirms that the video is not related to the recent earthquakes that struck Japan, but it is at least as old as early December 2021 and is from Indonesia.

Conclusion–

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be False. The viral video is not from the earthquake that hit Japan on 1 January 2024, but from a tourist place in Indonesia. And it dates back to 2021.