North Korean Missile Alert Sparks Fear and Confusion in Japan, Again
- Social media storm erupts after Hokkaido J-Alert warning
- Japan’s missile alert system has had troubles in the past
Government officials in Sapporo, Hokkaido prefecture, Japan, on April 13.
Photographer: Jiji Press/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Japan’s decision to alert people on the sprawling northern island of Hokkaido that a North Korean missile might be heading their way touched off a social media storm, with many asking for a few more specifics on a location.
Hashtags that can translate as “where in Hokkaido?” and “too broad” trended on Twitter in Japan on Thursday, after the government asked people to take shelter immediately. The island covers about the same area as Austria, and stretches at points along a distance nearly as far as Baltimore is from Boston.