An advisory that reads "Emergency Earthquake Alert Cancelled" is seen on a television screen in Tokyo on October 16, 2026. Japan's weather agency withdrew an erroneous alert for a magnitude 9.9 earthquake minutes after issuing it, apologising for the warning that disrupted transport. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) had initially warned on October 16 that a magnitude 9.9 earthquake occurred near the Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Chishima Islands, setting off loud emergency alerts on millions of mobile phones. (Photo by Rie KIKUCHI / AFP via Getty Images)