Is it true that nations departing from the 2025 Osaka Expo, such as Mexico and Estonia, are doing so solely due to the compensation they will receive for early withdrawal? No, that's not true: The decision of Mexico and Estonia to withdraw from the event is based on their financial inability to sustain participation in the Expo and fulfill their…

Is the Japanese government siphoning 3.8 million yen per international student from the education budget to support them at the expense of domestic students, who instead have to pay back their student loans? No, that's not true: The total financial aid international students are eligible for in Japan is much lower than the figure shared on social media. The claim…

Is it true that boiling tap water makes it spoil quicker? No, that's not true: When stored properly, tap water -- boiled or at room temperature -- can last months, and the boiling process won't evaporate the water's chlorine content and make it go bad. The claim appeared on TikTok (archived here) on September 5, 2023. The author says in…

Did the Japanese government push for constitutional reform because the U.S. military already decided to withdraw from Japan? No, that's not true: There are no plans at the time of writing from the U.S. and Japan to close U.S. military bases around Japan, and there is no evidence that Article 9, or the "no war" clause, of the current Japanese…

Is it true that a series of photos show that a crisis actor is being used to stage a rescue scene in Gaza? No, that's not true: The photos of a little girl being rescued from a bombed building are from a 2016 attack in the Syrian city of Aleppo. They show the same little girl passing through the arms…

Is it true that shrimp are being vaccinated - or are soon to be vaccinated - with mRNA vaccines? No, that's not true: Vaccines administered to shrimp are of a different kind, such as those used to prevent epidemics of white spot disease (WSD) among crustaceans and fish. The claim is made without evidence to support the statement that mRNA…

Did the United States ban imports of Fukushima agricultural and fishery products for 10 years? No, that's not true: On March 22, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an import alert, not a prohibition order, instructing FDA field personnel to detain food shipments from Japan if the food was likely to contain radionuclide contamination. The FDA deactivated…

Did cancer appear in Japan only after World War II? No, that's not true: People also got cancer before that war. The oldest description of the illness in medical history dates back to as early as 1600 BC. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok on September 17, 2023. The person in the video claimed (translated from…

Is it possible to power a light bulb or charge a phone simply by touching it to a tree? No, that's not true: Electrical energy required to power a lightbulb or charge a phone cannot be generated from a living tree, since wood is "super static" and does not conduct electricity. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok (archived…

Was former Japanese Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa of the Liberal Democratic Party assassinated for condemning the United States and the G20 at the height of the 2007-2008 financial crisis? No, that's not true: The police ruled out murder or foul play after Nakagawa's body was examined. The claim appeared on TikTok (archived here) on October 8, 2023, although Nakagawa died…

Does Japan's national consumption tax revenue fund subsidies for firms engaged in exporting goods and services? No, that's not true: The consumption tax, known as a value-added or sales tax, has been around since 1989 and it provides a source of tax revenue used mostly to fund domestic social security needs. Companies that export goods and services may be exempt…

Did Japan release nuclear contaminated water into the sea, making it murky? No, that's not true: The ALPS treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, which was released into the sea as of August 24, 2023, is transparent and colorless. The claim appeared on a TikTok video (archived here) on September 2, 2023. The text on the video,…

Does livestock feed sold in Japan contain harmful ingredients that cause genetic mutations in the animal meat that we eat? No, that's not true: Japan's Food Safety Commission evaluates the safety of agricultural products used to feed humans and livestock, including those derived from Genetically Modified Organisms, and it follows standards set out in the Feed Safety Act to ensure…

Did the US cause an earthquake and tsunami that led to the devastation of Japan's northeast coast and the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in order to replace the Japanese government with a more US-friendly one? No, that's not true: The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami was a natural phenomenon that occurred in the Japan Trench, a region with a…

Is it true that Vitamin B17 in loquat (biwa) seeds cure cancer? No, that's not true: The amygdalin contained in the seeds can even lead to poisoning, if consumed in large quantities. The claim is an old hoax that appeared again on TikTok (archived here) on July 5, 2023. The post contains a text explaining how the pharmacy industry is…

Is Japan's aging population problem a genocide by definition because less and less children are born? No, that's not true: Japan's record low of 799,728 births in 2022 and the problem of aging population cannot be considered genocide as it is not a deliberate attempt to eradicate the Japanese population. The claim appeared on TikTok (archived here) on September 16,…

Did former President Trump set up a U.S. Space Force military branch headquarters in the Yokota Airbase in Japan? No, that's not true: The Space Force, headquartered in Colorado Springs in the US, has personnel stationed at bases and stations on the US mainland, Hawaii and Greenland. While the joint US and Japanese airbase at Yokota, near Tokyo, has recently…

Did the Chinese begin dispersing mineral water into the ocean to neutralize contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear power plants? No, that's not true: A group of Chinese individuals were engaged in an activity known as "Release," which involves releasing captured fish, birds, and other creatures back into their natural habitats. In Buddhism, this practice is considered a virtuous act of…

Did The Japanese government promise the fishery officials not to discharge ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant to the sea? No, that's not true: The government promised the fishery officials that they would not dispose of contaminated water without the understanding of those involved. The current position of the Fukushima Fisheries Federation is…

Did contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant poison and kill a large number of fish in the Pacific Ocean? No, that's not true: The video is NOT from the Pacific Ocean where Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water was released from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, but from the Sea of Japan located on the opposite side…