Japanese authorities released an AI-generated video simulating what an eruption of Mount Fuji could look like, warning that volcanic ash could blanket Tokyo within two hours and cause widespread disruption.
The video, produced by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Disaster Prevention Division, showed thick smoke rising from Fuji before ash spreads across the capital, fogging the air and covering vehicles and buildings. A narration warned, “The moment may arrive without any warning.”
Officials stressed there is no indication that an eruption is imminent. Fuji, an active volcano, last erupted 318 years ago in the Hoei eruption of 1707.
Potential Impact Of Mount Fuji’s Eruption
The video cautioned that volcanic ash could cause health risks, power outages, transport chaos and food shortages. A separate simulation released by the government’s cabinet office urged citizens to “visualize specific scenarios” to improve preparedness.
🌋 Tokyo releases AI-generated video of Mount Fuji erupting..
It is all part of an artificial intelligence-generated video the Tokyo Metropolitan Government released last week to raise awareness of what could happen to the capital if Mount Fuji erupted. 🌋 pic.twitter.com/PFKKT2Rcu4
— Global???? (@GlobaltrekX) August 26, 2025
Authorities estimate that a large-scale eruption could produce 1.7 billion cubic meters of ash, with 490 million cubic meters settling across roads, buildings and farmland. Ash accumulation could collapse weaker wooden homes, block roads, disrupt logistics and even cut power lines. The economic toll could reach 2.5 trillion yen ($16.6bn), officials said.
Residents React To Predicted Doomsday Chaos
Some residents voiced alarm on social media with one writing on X (formerly Twitter), “The thought of volcanic ash causing transportation chaos in the Tokyo metropolitan area is terrifying.” Another listed survival essentials such as stoves, flashlights and water but said it “would be hard” to cope without electricity in Japan’s hot summers.
Others criticised the warnings as alarmist as a user wrote, “It tends to be used to stir up a sense of crisis and fear.”
Japan, which sits on the seismically active Ring of Fire, has stepped up disaster messaging over the past year. In January, the government said there was an 80% chance of a severe earthquake along the Nankai Trough in the next 30 years. In March, authorities also advised households near Fuji to keep at least two weeks of supplies.
