Science

Is Pfizer selling medicine that cannot be sold in the United States to Japan, such as Lyrica (pregabalin)? No, that's not true: Lyrica has been FDA-approved since 2004 to treat neuropathic pain, and the prescription use for pregabalin by Pfizer was conducted in Japan in collaboration with renowned Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai in June 2010 to treat postherpetic neuralgia, meaning…

Does natto (fermented soybeans) increase the risk of cancer, depending on how it is consumed? No, that's not true: Contrary to a claim circulating on social media, high intakes of fermented soybean foods have been associated with a lower risk of death. Also, no evidence suggests that eating natto in specific ways causes cancer. The claim appeared in a video…

Is it true that neonicotinoid pesticides cause autism in children? No, that's not true: While one study shows that pesticide exposure may be associated with adverse neurodevelopmental effects in children, this is not true for neonicotinoids. While neonicotinoids can be neurologically toxic and can cause respiratory failure in humans, there is no evidence that neonicotinoids can cause autism in humans…

Is it true that the number of breast cancer patients is rapidly rising in Japan because the radiation in mammograms causes cancer? No, that's not true: Though there are risk factors involved with radiation injuries and radiation-induced breast cancer post-screening, the amount of radiation absorbed by the body in annual mammogram screenings poses minimal risk of developing into breast cancer.…

Is it true that a body temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit, can kill all cancer cells? No, that's not true: A fever can be a symptom of all cancers and a medical emergency during chemotherapy. Additionally, the temperature for effective hyperthermia, a treatment that involves heating the body, requires a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius, or…

Is it true that Japanese mathematicians, using an old Japanese model of mathematical problem solving that was replaced by Western models, could have solved the mysteries of black holes in space and invented a time travel machine? No, that's not true: Wasan, a Japanese school of mathematics used up to the 1800s based on ancient Chinese mathematics, did not involve…

Is it true that airplanes don't fly over Antarctica because there is a wall separating our world from a hidden world controlled by rich elites like the Rothschild family? No, that's not true: There are flights to Antarctica, but the reason many planes don't fly over Antarctica is that all current commercial routes don't need to cross the South Pole.…

Can only Japanese people digest seaweed? No, that's not true: Some studies say that the Japanese and East Asians have specific enzymes that help them digest seaweed, but this is just the ability to digest a type of polysaccharide contained in seaweed and does not describe seaweed as a whole. Even in the studies, this specific enzyme was not found…

Did an official American earthquake forecasting organization suggest a strong earthquake might strike near Shizuoka Prefecture on February 10, 2024? No, that's not true: The Quake Prediction Earthquake Forecast Center is not a governmental or academic institution for the U.S. or any other country. No substantive evidence suggests that their forecasts rely on scientifically supported data. In addition, there was…

Are Japanese people made to believe that coronavirus and monkeypox exist, while they are actually fabricated diseases? No, that's not true: Both COVID-19 and monkeypox are confirmed illnesses recognized by global health organizations and scientific research. The claim appeared on a video (archived here) on TikTok on January 31, 2024, under the title (translated from Japanese to English by Lead…

Did excessive chlorine levels contaminate tap water in Japan? No, that's not true. National standards require tap water in Japan to contain chlorine at levels of 0.1 mg/L or higher. However, the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Waterworks aims to maintain chlorine levels between 0.1 mg/L and 0.4 mg/L to achieve better taste. The claim appeared in a TokTok video (archived…

Did so-called directed energy weapons (DEW) using laser beam energy cause the wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, and the Wajima post-quake fires in Japan because only blue-colored objects, allegedly not impacted by lasers, survived the catastrophe? No, that's not true: Both fires were caused by different events. Hawaii's power utility fanned by severe winds caused the fires that destroyed areas of…

Is Japan a "biological weapons powerhouse," as it approved the world's first self-amplifying mRNA (sa-RNA) COVID vaccine, whose efficacy and safety have not been disclosed? No, that's not true. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) approved the sa-RNA vaccine for both initial vaccination and booster doses in adults 18 years and older in November 2023, after a rigorous…

Has influenza exceeded the alert level in Japan because 80 percent of the population have a weakened immune system due to COVID-19 vaccination? No, that's not true: One of the reasons for the high influenza level is a decline in herd immunity to influenza. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok on December 19, 2023, by user6144061382609. It began…

Do diamonds have the effect of removing harmful sunlight, reflecting only the light that is good for the human body, thus making us healthy? No, that's not true: There is no scientific evidence that diamonds, both natural and synthetic, block harmful sunlight and "make the human body healthy." The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here), published on November…

Did Japanese celebrities get sick as a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: None of the celebrities mentioned in a post are claiming their illness is a side effect of Covid-19 vaccine. The claim appeared on a TikTok video (archived here) where it was published on November 30, 2023. It opened (Translated from Japanese into English…

Does a recent study prove that wearing a mask actually increases the risk of coronavirus infection? No, that's not true: While part of a study suggests that those who wear masks are more likely to get infected with coronavirus, its own authors describe their work as "observational" and urge readers to use "caution" when interpreting the results. The claim appeared…

Do pharmaceutical companies add caffeine or other ingredients that make it difficult for people to stop taking drugs such as Loxonin? No, that's not true: Pain reliever Loxonin contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. Caffeine is included in Loxonin because it has the effect of suppressing pain, and is not added to increase the…

Does the U.S. hold a patent for HAARP (the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program) and would such a patent prove that artificial earthquakes can be created by HAARP? No, that's not true: HAARP is a research facility managed under the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and is not patented by the United States. Anti-HAARP activists used patents under American phycisist B.…

Is it true that linear motor cars cause cancer? No, that's not true: Studies conducted by experts concluded that passengers aboard a high-speed bullet train will not have their health affected by the electromagnetic exposure from power cables. The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) on November 20, 2023. In the video, a man named Shunsuke Funase claims…