Japan’s citizens get to-do list if North Korea attacks
They might have only 10 minutes to prepare for missile.
TOKYO — North Korea might be talking about building missiles that can reach the United States, but Kim Jong Un’s regime already has lots of missiles that can reach Japan. So the Japanese government is preparing its citizens to be ready in case a missile comes their way — something that could happen with less than 10 minutes’ warning.
T h e p r i me mi n i s t e r ’s office issued a new list of “actions to protect yourself ” this week, including for the first time instructions on how to respond if a North Korean ballistic missile is heading toward Japan.
Three of the four missiles that North Korea launched March 6 fell within Japan’s exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan, the body of water that separates Japan and the Korean Peninsula. North Korea later said that it was practicing to hit U.S. military bases in Japan.
T h e J a p a n e s e g o v e r n - ment’s advice is basic: You won’t get the warning in time, but if you do, go to a strong building.
As North Korea has issued threats and paraded missiles this month, Japan’s official civil defense website has had 5.7 million visitors in the first 23 days of April — compared with usual monthly traffic of less than 400,000 hits.
Under t he “f re quently asked questions” section, the government poses the question of how many minutes it will take for a missile to reach Japan.
“W h e n a m i s s i l e i s launched from North Korea, it will not take long to reach Japan,” it says. “For example, the ballistic missile launched from (North Korea) on February 7 last year took 10 minutes to fly over Okinawa.”
The central government also has been holding meetings to instruct local governments what they should do if a North Korean missile hits their region.
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that the meeting was unprecedented in post-war Japan and marked the first time the Japanese government has taken steps to instruct residents on how to prepare for enemy attacks.
In Yamagata prefecture, plans are underway to conduct an evacuation drill as soon as possible.
In Akita prefecture to the north, Governor Norihisa Satake has instruc ted his disaster management department to stay on alert around the clock this month.
To the south, in Fukui, the local government had its staff stay on alert overnight Tuesday, in case of any provocations linked to the anniversary of the foundation of North Korea’s army.
Sales of nuclear shelters and radiation-blocking air pur i f i e r s have s ur ge d i n Japan, Reuters reported. A small company that specializes in building nuclear shelters, generally under people’s houses, has received eight orders in April alone compared with six orders during a typical year.