Old Clips Shared Linking To The Recent Earthquake In Japan.

A video containing three different clips went viral on social media linking to the recent earthquake in Japan. Sharing the video a user wrote, “First footage shows tsunami waves reaching Japan’s coastline after today’s powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake. Waves of around half a meter are already approaching shorelines, putting coastal communities on alert as tsunami warnings remain in effect across affected regions.”

Instagram Link | Archived Link.

However, upon investigation, we discovered that the claim was misleading. The clips are old. Here’s the fact check.

Fact Check 

We started our investigation by taking screenshots from the viral video and conducting a reverse image search. The screen in the viral video has been split into two parts. 

First Clip On The Upper Part Of The Screen 

A reverse image search of the screenshots from the first clip on the upper part of the screen led us to reports published on 2 January 2024 according to which the video shows the earthquake in Japan on 1 January 2024.

Another report can be seen here.

This makes it clear that the clip is old.

Second Clip On The Upper Part Of The Screen 

A reverse image search of the second clip on the upper part of the screen led us to a video report on the YouTube channel of The Guardian News, dated January 1, 2024, that contained the viral video. The description of the video read, “A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake has struck central Japan’s western coastline, prompting tsunami alerts and warnings for people to evacuate.”

We found another report on the CNN YouTube channel from January 2, 2024, that contained the viral clip. The description of the video read, “Civilians screamed in videos posted to social media after entire homes were flattened during a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Japan. In one video, people crouched under tables at a local bowling alley, where tremors shook the infrastructure and TV screens could be seen shaking from the ceiling.”

This makes it clear that the clip is old.

Clip On The Lower Part Of The Screen 

A reverse image search of the clip of the lower part of the screen led us to a report on the YouTube channel Anadolu English, a state-run news agency headquartered in Ankara, Turkey, on July 30, 2025. The report contained the viral clip. According to the report, the clip shows the 8.8 magnitude earthquake on Russia’s coast in July 2025.

Other reports can be seen here and here.

Conclusion 

From our investigation, we can say that the claim is misleading. The clips in the viral video are not related to the recent earthquake in Japan. These are old clips.