In prep for North Korea: Tokyo conducts first missile evacuation drill in years

This drill reflects Japan's concerns about the increasing threat posed by neighboring North Korea.

In a report from Reuters, approximately 60 residents participated in the exercise in Tokyo's Nerima ward, which comes in the wake of several recent test launches by North Korea, ranging from short-range and cruise missiles to massive intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the continental United States.

Some of these launches, including a missile that flew over Japan's southern islands on August 24, triggered Japan's J-Alert system. This system enables authorities to immediately send warnings through television, email, and cellphone notifications to residents.

However, Mutsumi Takahashi, a disaster prevention official involved in Monday's drill, emphasized that some individuals remain unsure of how to respond when the J-Alert is activated, highlighting the need for more training.

"I believe we must continue to conduct training to educate residents on the correct actions to take in the event of a missile falling or passing over.”

Japan has organized over a dozen such drills throughout the country this year, although Monday's exercise was the first one held in Tokyo since 2018. During the drill, participants, wearing bibs, were divided into groups at a train station and a park.

When the test missile alert was sounded, police and disaster prevention officials, equipped with loudspeakers, swiftly guided the groups to designated shelter areas where they crouched down with their hands over their heads.

A small group of anti-war demonstrators assembled in front of the train station where the drill took place, chanting and displaying signs with messages such as "Missile drill is preparation for war" and "Diplomatic dialogue instead of missile drills."