On the morning of April 13, 2023, the launch by North Korea of what appeared to be a new type of ballistic missile caused fear and confusion in Japan after a government-run alert system warned residents that the projectile could fall on or close to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. The emergency broadcasting system, J-Alert, told millions of people in Hokkaido to take immediate cover after the North test-fired what appeared to be a long-range missile.

The J-Alert system issued the evacuation warning just before 8am local time, causing panic among the residents of Hokkaido. Many people rushed to take shelter in designated areas or in their homes, while others were left stranded outside, unsure of what to do. The J-Alert system is designed to provide immediate and accurate information to the public in case of emergencies such as missile attacks, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

One resident of Hakodate, Hokkaido's third-largest city, described the experience as "disgusting" and "eerie" in a video posted on social media. The author of the video said that the J-Alert in the middle of the night was disgusting, but the J-Alert in the calm sea was also eerie. Credit to: @magokoroshin