Why is Metro Bundler claiming that app.json does not exist?

Please note that this is not the same as other questions posted here regarding missing modules. Whether I run npx react-native run-android or npx react-native start in my app folder, it seems to be claiming that my app.json file is missing, but it is there in the base directory.

    error: Error: Unable to resolve module `./app.json` from `index.js`:
    None of these files exist:
      * app.json
      * app.json\index(.native|.android.js|.native.js|.js|.android.json|.native.json|.json|.android.ts|.native.ts|.ts|.android.tsx|.native.tsx|.tsx)
    at ModuleResolver.resolveDependency (C:\rn\MyApp\node_modules\metro\src\node-haste\DependencyGraph\ModuleResolution.js:163:15)
    at ResolutionRequest.resolveDependency (C:\rn\MyApp\node_modules\metro\src\node-haste\DependencyGraph\ResolutionRequest.js:52:18)
    at DependencyGraph.resolveDependency (C:\rn\MyApp\node_modules\metro\src\node-haste\DependencyGraph.js:287:16)
    at Object.resolve (C:\rn\MyApp\node_modules\metro\src\lib\transformHelpers.js:267:42)
    at C:\rn\MyApp\node_modules\metro\src\DeltaBundler\traverseDependencies.js:434:31
    at Array.map (<anonymous>)
    at resolveDependencies (C:\rn\MyApp\node_modules\metro\src\DeltaBundler\traverseDependencies.js:431:18)
    at C:\rn\MyApp\node_modules\metro\src\DeltaBundler\traverseDependencies.js:275:33
    at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
    at asyncGeneratorStep (C:\rn\MyApp\node_modules\metro\src\DeltaBundler\traverseDependencies.js:87:24)

index.js

/**
 * @format
 */

import {AppRegistry} from 'react-native';
import App from './App';
import {name as appName} from './app.json';

AppRegistry.registerComponent(appName, () => App);