Tokyo conducts first missile evacuation drill in years

About 60 residents took part in the drill in Tokyo's Nerima Ward, Reuters reported, following a series of North Korean nuclear weapons tests, ranging from short-range missiles and cruise missiles to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that could hit the US mainland.

During the launches, a missile flew over Japan's southern islands on August 24, triggering Japan's J-Alert system, which allows authorities to send immediate warnings via television, email and mobile phone notifications to residents.

Mutsumi Takahashi, a disaster prevention official who helped run the drill, said some people still did not know what to do when J-Alert sent out warnings, highlighting the need for more drills in the future.

“I think we need to continue conducting drills to instruct people on what to do in case a missile falls or flies over,” official Takahashi explained.

Japan has held more than a dozen evacuation drills nationwide this year, but this is the first one in Tokyo since 2018.

Participants wearing marked vests were divided into groups at the train station and park. When the missile warning sounded, police and disaster officials with loudspeakers rushed the groups to designated shelters. Some evacuated to Nerima subway station while others took shelter in a nearby park, where there were no nearby buildings or basements. Evacuees were asked to crouch low and put their hands above their heads.

According to the Cabinet Secretariat website, the government advised people to seek shelter in buildings or basements, and stay away from windows when hearing missile warnings.

However, not everyone supported the drills. Dozens of protesters gathered in front of the train station where the drills were held, chanting and holding banners that read “Missile drills are preparations for war” and “Let’s have diplomatic dialogue instead of missile drills.”