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Sirens sound as North Korea again sends a missile over Japan

Members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces have a meeting with workers at Hokkaido Government in Sapporo, northern Japan Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 following North Korea's missile launch. Japanese residents in northern Japan have woken up to blaring sirens warning them of the North Korean missile for the second time in two weeks. (Masanori Takei/Kyodo News via AP)
Members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces have a meeting with workers at Hokkaido Government in Sapporo, northern Japan Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 following North Korea's missile launch. Japanese residents in northern Japan have woken up to blaring sirens warning them of the North Korean missile for the second time in two weeks. (Masanori Takei/Kyodo News via AP)

By Associated Press 1 min read

TOKYO (AP) – Japan’s warning sirens blared when the North Korean missile was launched and again when it passed overhead. TV stations warned people to get inside buildings and go to the basement. Trains and subways on a northern island briefly stopped for safety checks.

If practice makes perfect, people in northern Japan on Friday got another chance to improve on protecting themselves from a future warhead.

It’s the second time Japan’s emergency alert system kicked into action in less than a month. Ultimately, there was no known debris or damage.

Emergency official Shuji Koshida said the response went relatively smoothly since Hokkaido had the earlier missile flyover on Aug. 29. The warning message was updated after residents said they had trouble finding sturdy buildings to seek refuge the last time.