By: Toibah Kirmani
August 2 2023
This 'Stop War, Stop Zelenskyy' billboard in Japan is fake
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Fact-Check
The Verdict False
The original footage of the LED screen located in Shibuya, Tokyo, displayed Japanese models.
Claim ID a388ff2d
Context
A video circulating on social media shows an LED billboard located in a busy street in Japan displaying the text, "Stop war, stop Zelenskyy!" The archive version can be found here.
However, the video has been digitally altered to add the text to the billboard.
In fact
The original video was first posted on YouTube by a channel called VIRTUAL JAPAN in October 2020, titled "Night Walk in Tokyo Shibuya (東京散歩)." The movements of the camera and pedestrians in the street, as well as the signs on buildings, match the viral video. At the 21:20 mark, the billboard shown in the viral video is visible but shows advertisements featuring models and no English text.
We also checked reputable news outlets and found no reports of such a message being broadcast in Japan. On June 23, 2023, the Japanese government released a statement that "Japan Stands With Ukraine" to show their support for Ukraine, going on to outline the sanctions Japan imposed on Russia.
Misleading videos on social media have frequently targeted the Ukrainian president. Logically Facts has previously debunked numerous similar claims, which can be found in the fact check library.
The verdict
The billboard shown in the video has been digitally manipulated to show an anti-Ukraine message, while the original video footage shows advertisements. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.