Did Mt. Fuji erupt? Government AI generation warning video released
Aug 27, 2025
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According to NHK and other Japanese media, the video was produced on the 26th to mark 「Volcano Disaster Prevention Day」 and realistically describes the enormous damage that can be done to the metropolitan area, including Tokyo, if Mount Fuji, an active volcano, erupts.
Toshitsu Fujii, professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo who appeared in the video, said "Fujisan has erupted once every 30 years on average in the past, but has been quiet for more than 300 years in the past."It's not strange when the next eruption occurs."
The released video begins with a huge plume of gray ash soaring over Tokyo and covering the entire city with dark clouds.
In the following scene, all of Tokyo is buried in thick volcanic ash, and the narration explains that the moment can come without any warning. In addition, "We don't know when Mt. Fuji will erupt and cover us with volcanic ash, so we need to know the facts to protect ourselves and our loved ones."
When Mount Fuji erupted, 20cm of volcanic ash was estimated to accumulate two days later in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, about 60km away.
In Shinjuku-gu, Tokyo, about 100km away, volcanic ash is expected to accumulate more than 5cm in two days.
The video also points to the health risks that Tokyo's 37 million people could face.
The video explains "Volcanic ash is composed of microscopic particles, which pose various risks to health and society."
At the time of the last eruption in 1707, Mt. Fuji erupted 850 million cubic meters of volcanic material for 16 days. Earlier this year, a panel of experts warned that future eruptions could produce up to 490 million cubic meters of ash and rock, much of which could reach Tokyo in just an hour.
A Japanese government official stressed that a large-scale eruption of Mount Fuji could have a wide range of effects, including in the metropolitan area.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
