In Japan, distinctive electronic alert tones are used to warn the public about earthquakes, tsunamis and other emergencies, and their urgent, unmistakable sound has become familiar far beyond Japan through news clips and online videos. Short versions of these alarms spread on soundboards and social media because they instantly create a sense of crisis, even when the context is completely ordinary. Creators now use the tone less as a real warning and more as a comedic cue, signalling that something dramatic, embarrassing or unexpected is about to happen.