Tension mounted in many parts of northern Japan after North Korea’s missile flew over the region Tuesday morning, a Japanese media outlet reported.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper on Tuesday reported that public transit got suspended and schools also closed down following the local government’s warning that urged citizens to seek refuge in shelters.

East Japan Railway, the major railway operator in the capital area, suspended operation at 6:02 a.m. on parts of its high speed and conventional trains following the J-Alert warning from the central government. A number of major public and private rail operations across Northern Japan also had temporary suspensions, affecting morning commutes.

Many schools in the northern region, including Rokashomura High School in Aomori Prefecture and Saku Middle School in Nagano Prefecture, issued closure notices to students shortly after the missile launch. “It might be seen as an excessive measure, but we decided to prioritize safety after all,” an official at Saku Middle School told the Asahi Shimbun. 

(mjk625@heraldcorp.com)