Tokyo – Mount Fuji has not erupted since 1707. However, for Volcanic Disaster Prevention Day, Japanese officials have released computer and AI-generated videos showing simulations of potential violent eruptions of active volcanoes.
Released this week, the video aims to prepare 37 million residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area for potential disasters.
Video from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government warns that the eruption could attack “at any time without warning.” Within hours, it draws volcanic ash in central Tokyo, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away, paralyzing transport, destroying food and power, causing long-term breathing problems.
The video ends with the message “We need to arm ourselves with facts and prepare ourselves for disasters in our daily lives.” You will see a family pantry packed with canned food and first aid kits.
In a statement, the Tokyo government said there are currently no indication that Fuji will erupt. “The simulation is designed to equip residents with the precise knowledge and preparatory measures they can take in the event of an emergency,” he explained.
However, the video has caused anxiety and confusion among some residents.
“Are there any signs of an eruption actually?” said Shinichiro Kariya, a 57-year-old hospital employee. “Why now, “And do we hear that even in Tokyo, 10 centimeters of ashes can fall? I wonder why this is happening all of a sudden.”
Hiromioki, who lives in Mishima city, who enjoys the main views of Fuji, said he plans to buy emergency supplies the next day. “Nature's power is so great that it might be better to scare us a little,” she said.
Representatives from both the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Disaster Prevention Department of Japan's Cabinet Office said they had not received complaints from Tokyo residents about the video.
Naoya Sekiya, a professor at the University of Tokyo and a risk communication expert, said the government has a scenario that modeled the volcanic eruption and earthquake scenarios over the years, but added that it doesn't mean that Fuji is about to erupt.
“The timing doesn't really make any sense,” Sekiya said.
Japan is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters due to its climate and topography, and is known for its meticulous disaster planning that spans earthquakes, typhoons, floods, landslides and volcanic eruptions.
In August last year, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued its first “Megakoki Advisory” after a powerful earthquake struck the southeast coast of an island in southern Kyushu.
Of the approximately 1,500 active volcanoes around the world, 111 are located in Japan and in the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific Ocean.
Fuji, the highest peak in Japan, was used to erupt every 30 years, but has been dormant since the 18th century.
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Video journalist Ayaka McGill contributed to this report.
