Viral Mall Video Linked to July 28, 2026 Kumamoto Quake Is From 2024 Noto Peninsula Tremor

Summary: A widely shared video purporting to show shoppers crouching as a mall rocked during the deadly July 28, 2026 Kumamoto earthquake was not filmed in Kumamoto. Verification shows the clip was recorded at Aeon Mall Takaoka in Toyama during the 7.5-magnitude Noto Peninsula earthquake on January 1, 2024.

What The Video Actually Shows

Reverse-image searches and keyframe matching trace the viral clip to a TikTok post dated January 2, 2024, which identified the recording as captured at Aeon Mall Takaoka in Toyama during the Noto Peninsula earthquake. Toyama is roughly 720 kilometres (about 448 miles) from Kumamoto, where a separate 7.1-magnitude quake struck on July 28, 2026.

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (L) and the TikTok video

How The Verification Was Done

Investigators matched interior details visible in the clip — including the order of shops shown (American Holic, Muji, Muk Moca Brown, Gorge Be) — to the official floor plan of Aeon Mall Takaoka and to independent video walkthroughs of the mall. The same footage previously circulated after other earthquakes and was debunked by Japanese fact-checkers in January 2025 when it was misattributed to Miyazaki Prefecture.

Media And Social Spread

The clip was shared on social platforms and by some regional outlets in reports about the July 28, 2026 Kumamoto quake, including a simplified-Chinese Weibo post from a user with over 28,000 followers. That sharing led to confusion over the video’s origin despite timestamped posts and floor-plan matches indicating it was filmed in 2024.

Comparison of screenshots from the falsely shared clip and the floor plan of Aeon Mall Takaoka, with corresponding elements highlighted by AFP

Context And Human Impact

The July 28, 2026 Kumamoto earthquake caused widespread damage and, according to local reports, at least 38 deaths. Authorities reported seven fatalities in an explosion at an Aeon Mall in Kumamoto and rescuers recovered 12 people from wreckage. The earlier January 1, 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake measured 7.5 and was reported to have killed more than 700 people.

Why Accurate Attribution Matters

Misinformation about disasters can distract from relief efforts, spread panic, and make it harder for communities and authorities to coordinate response. Verifying video timestamps, geolocation markers, and interior landmarks helps ensure reports reflect the correct events and locations.

AFP and other fact-checkers have debunked the misattribution; the verified record shows the mall footage is from the 2024 Noto Peninsula quake, not the 2026 Kumamoto event.

Sources: Reverse-image searches, TikTok timestamps, mall floor plans, local reporting on both the 2024 and 2026 earthquakes, and prior fact-checks.