The Japanese government urged people in Hokkaido to take shelter as it detected what it suspects was a North Korean ballistic missile launch aimed in their direction.
The missile was reportedly launched around 7:25am local time today.
"The missile is believed to have been launched from North Korea. Evacuate inside a building or underground," the official twitter account of Ishikari City, Hokkaido posted.
The official Twitter account of Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida also posted a message asking for people in Hokkaido to take shelter.
It then posted an update that the missile had flown over Japan.
"The aforementioned missile is believed to have passed through the Pacific Ocean around 07:29. If you find anything suspicious, do not approach it and immediately contact the police or fire department."
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said that the ballistic missile flew over the Tohoku region, according to Japan Times.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launch was made on Tuesday morning but gave no further details.
The launch is the latest weapons test by North Korea in an apparent response to military drills between South Korea and the United States.
North Korea views such drills as an invasion rehearsal, though Seoul and Washington say they are defensive in nature.
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