JAPAN ON ALERT: RESIDENTS TOLD TO SEEK SHELTER OR LIE ON GROUND IN EVENT OF NORTH KOREA MISSILE ATTACK

Japan Self-Defense Forces soldiers hold a drill to mobilise their Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile unit at Asaka baseJapan

The Japanese government has created a nationwide television broadcast advising civilians on how to protect themselves in the event of a North Korean missile attack.

The new 30-second government announcement offers practical tips on the most effective ways to seek protection if a missile is fired in the direction of Japan from North Korea.

It recommends that residents seek shelter in sturdy buildings or underground, as well as hide behind objects, lie face down the floor, stay away from windows and protect their heads if inside a building.

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It also confirms that in the event of a missile attack, the government’s satellite-based J-Alert public warning system will inform members of the public through speakers across the country.

The announcement is being aired by 43 television stations across the country between now and early July, while written instructions are also being published in 70 Japanese newspapers, according to Kyodo News.

The government’s decision to issue the safety announcement via the media comes as tensions rise steadily in the region due to North Korea repeatedly flouting international sanctions with increasingly frequent missile tests.

The tests are believed to be part of the regime’s programme to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, with its technology already sufficiently advanced to reach South Korea and Japan, both home to US military bases.

In April, the Japanese government told regional authorities to hold evacuation drills and also issued survival guidelines to the public, the first instructions from the Japanese government on how to survive an enemy attack since the Second World war.

While the atmosphere in Japan remains warily calm, sales of nuclear shelters and radiation-blocking air purifiers surged across Japan after the prime minister stated that North Korea may have the capabilities to deliver missiles equipped with sarin nerve gas to Japan.