Missile-alert Evacuation Drill Held in Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:21 JST, November 6, 2023

Local residents carried out an evacuation drill Monday morning in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, on the assumption that the J-Alert early warning system had been triggered and a ballistic missile was going to hit the area.

Sixty participants followed steps similar to those that would be carried out in an actual emergency.

The drill was organized by the central government and the Tokyo metropolitan government, among other entities, and was the second to be held in the capital following the first such exercise in January 2018.

When the start of the drill was announced via loudspeakers, those taking part ran into the lower part of Nerima Station on the Toei Oedo subway line, which is a designated emergency shelter.

Participants adopted self-protective postures, such as crouching and using their hands to cover their heads.

Meanwhile, others taking part in the simulation sheltered at a complex and at a park near the station, taking such steps as staying away from windows and seeking out shelter after hearing the J-Alert.

According to the Cabinet Secretariat, 42 drills are scheduled to take place in Tokyo and 26 other prefectures this fiscal year.