A simulated video of fireworks with a background music is being circulated on social media with claims that it shows a display of fireworks in Japan which was supposed to be part of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games to be held this year. The claims further suggest that since the fireworks could not be stored till 2021, there was a spectacular display on the foothills of Mount Fuji in advance.
The International Olympic Committee and the Japanese Government has postponed the Olympic Games until July 2021 because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However according to reports fireworks were displayed on July 24 to mark the day the Olympics were supposed to begin.
The viral video is a display of spectacular and synchronised fireworks over a mountain range with a waterbody in the foreground. The caption of the viral video reads:''It is rumored that the fireworks were set off for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games to be held in Japan this year. The Olympics cannot be opened because of the new crown epidemic, but these fireworks cannot be stored until 2021, so the Olympic fireworks were set off under the beautiful Mount Fuji in advance, which is too spectacular. Tears 2020!''
The post can be seen here and has been archived here. One such video has been viewed more than 1 million times at the time of writing this article.
The video is also doing the rounds on Twitter and WhatsApp with a similar narrative.
Sent by my colleague~ It's rumoured that the fireworks were prepared for 2020 Olympic Games opening ceremony however, because of covid-19, it was delayed till 2021. The fireworks and firecrackers can't be stored until 2021 so it's displayed now under Mt. Fuji. So beautiful!! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/TqiN24TmgQ
— KRîS ᗧ ····· 🍒 ······ ᗣ (@middaymyday) August 14, 2020
BOOM received the video in its tipline number for verification.
Also the sports desk of Gulf News has published the same video with claims that the video shows fireworks display which could not set off for the Tokyo Olympic that was supposed to take place this year. Click here for the archive of the article.
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Fact Check
BOOM ran a reverse image search on a few of its key-frames and found the same video posted on a YouTube channel named, hiramu55bocaboca. The video was uploaded on December 1 , 2015 to the platform.
The title of the video is, ''FWsim Mount Fuji Synchronized Fireworks Show2''. On translating the description with the video we found that the video was created in commemoration of Mount Fuji's World Cultural Heritage registration.
Upon searching with the keywords 'FWsim', we found a firework simulator website, FWSIM. According to the details of the website, one can create their own fireworks through the software by subscribing to the programme.
While fireworks were displayed on July 24 to mark the day the Olympics were supposed to kickstart, the actual fireworks display do not match the viral video. One such display can be seen below.
Japanese news outlet The Japan Times in a July 24 report had covered the event of a synchronised fireworks that was displayed.
BOOM had debunked a similar video which was doing the rounds on social media with a similar kind of synchronised fireworks display made by using the fireworks simulator website FWsim. Read the Fact-Check here.
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