North Korea 'fires missile towards Northern Japan, residents warned to take shelter'

North Korea fired a missile that passed over northern Japan early on Tuesday, the Japanese government said.

The government’s J-Alert warning system advised people in the area to take precautions, but public broadcaster NHK said there was no sign of damage.

The Japanese military did not attempt to shoot down the missile, which passed over Japanese territory around 6:06 a.m. local time (2106 GMT).

Residents reportedly woke up to an "emergency alert" message warning them about a potential missile heading for Japan.

Reuters