Overview

• The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Cabinet Office released computer- and AI-generated simulations targeting the region’s 37 million residents.
• Timed to Volcanic Disaster Preparedness Day, the videos visualize ash reaching central Tokyo within hours from the volcano about 60 miles away.
• The scenarios depict halted transport, disruptions to power and food supplies, and potential respiratory risks in a severe ashfall.
• Public response has been mixed, with some residents beginning to stock emergency supplies and others voicing anxiety and confusion about the timing.
• Experts say such modeling is routine, there is no special significance to the release date, and the timing of a future eruption cannot be predicted.