Local authorities in Hokkaido issued and then retracted an alert that warned the missile could fall on the island

A missile launch by North Korea on Thursday morning caused fear and confusion in Japan after a government-run alert system warned residents that the projectile could fall on or close to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

The emergency broadcasting system – J-Alert – told millions of people in Hokkaido to take immediate cover after the North test-fired what appeared to be a long-range missile.