Published On 20/11/2025
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Last update: 11:25 (Mecca time)
Yesterday, Tuesday, social media platforms witnessed widespread circulation of a video clip that was said to show the launching ceremony of a new Japanese submarine, which its publishers claimed was the first locally-made submarine launched by Japan since the end of World War II.
The video shows the moment a huge submarine was lowered into the water for the first time, amid a great festive atmosphere witnessed by a large number of officials and citizens, as sirens sounded during the inauguration.
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The hull of the submarine, which bore the number 516, also shows a number of sailors on board at the moment it left the shipyard.
The video sparked great interest on social media platforms around the world, after it was circulated with multiple comments, including Arabic, English, and Russian.
Japan launches its first submarine after World War II.
Oh sir, what a prestige 😍
– Thamer Al-Ghali (@mr_thamer) November 17, 2025
Many accounts interacted with the video and it achieved millions of views, amid a wave of questions about the veracity of the circulating claim, and Tokyo’s ability to revive its naval fleet after its loss in World War II.
Japan launched its first submarine since World War II. pic.twitter.com/ODlVqo9AWm
— decay and disrespect (@VictorKvert2008) November 17, 2025
Other calculations believed that Japan is capable of becoming a global superpower that easily competes with China and the United States because of its plutonium purification for its nuclear power plants, which can be easily converted into nuclear weapons.
Japan could be a world superpower that could rival China and the US so easily. They can refine plutonium already for their nuclear power plants which could be converted into nuclear weapons with ease. In a span of months Japan could remilitarize.
— Mitch Russell (@MitchRussell7) November 18, 2025
the truth
The Al Jazeera Investigation team monitored questions about the veracity of the claim circulated with the video, as our team conducted an in-depth reverse search on the identity of the submarine, only to discover that it was incorrect.
The search results showed that the video is old and dates back to October 17, 2023, for the inauguration ceremony of the fourth “Taigei” class submarine, named “Raigei,” produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited.
4th Taigei-class submarine “Raigei”
It was my first time seeing the launch ceremony! I went to Kobe for the first time!
It was a bit dark in the mountains in the morning, so maybe there would be thunder…? Just when I was thinking that, the “Thunder Whale” was coming! (lol
Congratulations on your launch! pic.twitter.com/iaeJLsMPeb— Maopian(@2lock4) October 17, 2023
And he agreed Website Kawasaki delivered the “Raige” submarine – which means thunder whale in Japanese – to the Japanese Ministry of Defense on March 6, confirming that the launch of the submarine into the waters was on October 17, 2023.
Kawasaki said in its statement at the time that the “Raigi” is the fourth of the “Taigi” class, and the 31st submarine that was built in the shipyard in the city of Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, after World War II, and this denies the validity of the circulating claim.
The submarine carries the identification code (JS SS‑516) and officially entered service within the Japanese Navy last March, with a crew numbering about 70 individuals, a total length of 84 metres, a width of 9.1 metres, and a draft of 10.4 metres.
And it counts The first submarine Produced by Japan after World War II, it bears the name “Oyashio” and was launched on May 25, 1959, also by Kawasaki. After that, many other categories were produced, most notably the Taigi, Soryu, and Oyashio, which are currently part of the Japanese naval fleet.