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Typhoon alert goes off on train commuters’ phones, tourists mistake it for Godzilla attack

Koh Ruide Aug 27, 2018
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You can’t blame them. It was a monster storm after all.

Live in Japan long enough and you’ll know about the emergency warning system that immediately alerts phone users of imminent earthquakes. The notifications can come abruptly, often causing the devices to ring so loudly it catches everyone’s attention.

And as two powerful typhoons — Typhoon Soulik and Typhoon Cimaron — made landfall in Japan a few days ago, phones have been simultaneously ringing across affected areas to warn citizens of the incoming battering winds.

Japanese Twitter user @Znplus2 was on board a train when everyone’s smartphones began buzzing loudly and simultaneously. Such a scene would be considered normal in Japan, but it caught a group of foreigners completely by surprise at that time.

▼ He saw them holding onto an Italian flag and realized they were a tour group.
(Translation below)

電車乗ってたら乗客全員のスマホから台風の緊急速報が鳴り出して
何も状況が分からないイタリア人のツアー客が「GODZILLA…？」って言ってる

— すんだん (@Znplus2) August 23, 2018

“Everyone’s smartphones blared out typhoon emergency alerts as soon as an Italian tour group boarded the train. They didn’t understand the situation and someone from the group said, ‘Godzilla…?’”

With alarms shrieking everywhere in utter chaos, the scene indeed resembled a monster invasion reminiscent of those in Godzilla movies.

▼ It didn’t seem like a prank from a variety show either.

▼ It’s a good thing they didn’t run for their lives right then and there.
(Translation below)

ちなみにその後の話ですが
速報鳴っても余裕そうにしている日本人の様子を見て安心したのか「Dosheen!!Zugaan!!」ってゴジラのマネしてました

— すんだん (@Znplus2) August 24, 2018

“After realizing the Japanese people around them weren’t panicking, they calmed down and began to mimic Godzilla with ‘Dosheen!! Zugaan!!’ sounds.”

Japanese netizens had a good laugh out of it:

“In other countries, anyone would be terrified at the sound of sirens.”
“Yes, it’s indeed Godzilla.”
“I mean, I wouldn’t really disagree with someone if they called the current rain, “Godzilla.’”
“That’s so cute!”
“Why Japanese people!?”

We’re kind of glad the tourists found a bit of amusement amid all the chaos, but someone should have told them what the alarms meant. If they had known what the commotion was about, perhaps they would have taken the situation much more seriously, particularly so if it was a ballistic missile launched by North Korea.

Source: Twitter/@Znplus2 via Hachima Kiko
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Pakutaso