Japan just had its own version of the Hawaii missile scare. At around 12:40, an emergency alert was broadcasted warning of an imminent magnitude 9.9 earthquake off the coast of Hokkaido. A magnitude 9.9 earthquake, if it happened, would be the strongest earthquake ever recorded, releasing approximately 22 times more energy than the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. Fortunately just minutes later the earthquake alert was withdrawn and confirmed to be a false alarm. But for those few minutes, people across the country held their breath bracing for a potentially catastrophic earthquake that ultimately never came.

— 由仁アリン Arin Yuni (@Arin_Yumi) October 16, 2026