While the launch of a North Korean missile over Japanese territory heightened concerns in Japan, residents of Tokyo were fatalistic in response. There is little they can do, they said, but to hope world leaders resolve the tension peacefully. Still, they worried the capital might not be ready for the…
While the launch of a North Korean missile over Japanese territory heightened concerns in Japan, residents of Tokyo were fatalistic in response. There is little they can do, they said, but to hope world leaders resolve the tension peacefully. Still, they worried the capital might not be ready for the worst.
Here are some of their thoughts and concerns, as told to The Associated Press:
For nursery school teacher Yuki Hiwatari, the missile test was a worrying wake-up call.
“I think about our children, ” said the 35-year-old mother of two. “An event like this makes me extremely worried about their future.”
It was her day off, and she had been checking her emails when she read one from her supervisor mentioning the missile launch. Though the school has emergency plans for earthquakes and other natural disasters, there are no plans for missile attacks.
“What happened today is becoming part of our daily lives. We need to draw up an emergency plan for a missile launch, ” even if it’s never actually needed, she said while sitting on a part bench in Tokyo’s western suburbs.
“I hope global leaders will settle by peaceful means, not by force.”
Homemaker Harumi Yoshida worries that Tokyo could become a target one day.
“When that happens and the J-Alert (warning siren) goes off, what are we supposed to do?” she wondered, resting in the shade while her 1-year-old daughter nibbled a biscuit in a stroller nearby.
