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Gov't tells NHK not to repeat false missile alert

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Similar to what happened in Hawaii, it seems both countries militaries and public broadcasters need to have a sit down. The Hawaii alert was an "accident," which begs the questions as to why a warning about an incoming missile should be any different than launching one? This should only be triggered by a military directive and should be verified by two persons before the alert is broadcasted. There is no room for "oops" in this.

21 ( +22 / -1 )

I also have to wonder does this mean organizations are on a heightened alert, some military info?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

 There is no room for "oops" in this.

Wouldn't surprise me one bit that there is an ulterior motive, "scare"tactics serve a purpose in a country that has media that is strongly influenced by the government. Actions like these bring the people close in line with the current administration's goal of making the JSDF a full fledged military, and amending the constitution as well.

NHK doesn't issue these types of alerts or warnings on their own, they get information from somewhere else first, they are given information from the proper authorities first, and it seems to me that there was more than one mix up here, as the alert was sent out at least through two different outlets, TV and web.

The same alert was sent to mobile phone users of NHK's online news distribution service.

This happened because equipment to send a news flash onto the Internet had been incorrectly operated. We are deeply sorry," an NHK announcer said on its 9:00 p.m. news program, bowing deeply in apology.

Incorrectly or did someone do it on purpose to raise a scare?

26 ( +29 / -3 )

It's a trap, don't fall for this. If you admit to receiving an NHK transmission, they're gonna charge you for it.

30 ( +33 / -3 )

Another reason not to pay them.

27 ( +28 / -1 )

YubaruToday  06:22 am JST

Wouldn't surprise me one bit that there is an ulterior motive, "scare"tactics serve a purpose in a country that has media that is strongly influenced by the government.

Let's take a moment to think this through, shall we?

Scare tactics are a possible strategy when in that exact moment your target looks like they could attack you. The moment, however, that you accuse someone of attacking you when they plainly aren't, you undermine your entire premise. The moment you demonstrate that your fear-mongering really is imaginary, most people become suspicious that there will be a threat in the future. See also: every time people hype up the next typhoon to hit Japan, then it turns out to be "a bit wet", people don't react with relief they experienced worse than they could have, they tend to get angry that they were made to worry over nothing. How many residents of Japan actually prepare for typhoons anymore like they should?

So while I can't rule out an ulterior motive, if there were one then this false alarm would have to have been perpetrated by an utter idiot who understands nothing about how other humans think and struggles with basic cause-and-effect reasoning.

Which, like, I'm not saying that precludes an ulterior motive, especially when we're talking about NHK. But maybe it's not the most plausible explanation.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Mistake ei?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I have no doubt hawaii was a live drill to see what would happen if you toss one on an unexpecting population.

This is obviously talked about and approved to run on air.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

I wonder if these so-called false alarms are deliberate scare tactics. Who remembers how seriously people took Iraq's fictional weapons of mass destruction.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

False alarm or scam alarm?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

It seems that NHK makes more scare of N Korea missiles as Abe wants to revise the constitution and to make Japan stronger militarism.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

In USA, there are many news speciality channels. In Japan, only NHK. Foreign language used comments, English translations are displayed on bottom of screen. Because there are cable channels subscrtion is norm, even this kind of news, regular channels are not disturbed.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Not working, majority still don't want constitutional changes, and want immediately halting the operation of nuclear power plants in Japan.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Coincident?

Abe today returns from European tour of the "minor" states where the main topic of conversation was NK and rallying support against the regime was front page everyday (as if they needed Abe to fill them in).

We have the ICAN Nobel Peace award recipient currently touring Japan and admonishing the govt for not getting on board the "ban nuclear weapons" movement and she also has been refused (Sorry we are too busy) a meeting with Abe. The official govt line re the banning is we must protect against NK.

So to keep the air of despair and urgency surrounding Nuked up NK, pumped up to the max, why not throw in a "Missile, Missile - take cover" alert.

Doesn't matter if it's Real or Fake (heard that before somewhere), just keep the idea of  Nuclear Attack in the psyche of the masses.

Four legs Good..............Two legs Bad.......................................... Two legs Better.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

NHK needs change, too much fakes news, too many biases. Some heads have to roll.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Well, NHK was able to correct its error in a few minutes, far faster than the nearly 40 minutes that lapsed before the Hawaii alert was withdrawn.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

I believe there was someone on the Hawaii thread saying that it went off because of "the inferior US system"? Oops! This is not the first time false missile alerts have gone off in Japan; it's happened several times and from several sources. This is not the first time NHK has done it, either.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

The button presser already moved from Hawaii to Japan? Lol I'm glad I have an unlocked Verizon phone from ebay, so that I'm not bothered by these false alerts.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Someone inn NHK used his paranoia imagination of N Korea to create false. explanation.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

No big deal... but if any of you were critical of the Hawaii mistake but are less critical of this because it happened in Japan, then you're a hypocrite. If any of you are rationalizing the difference between the two and saying one was worse that the other... guess what, you're probably pro Japan and anti USA. Admit it.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

What's really dopey about this is given the heavy coverage of the false Hawaii alert on NHK News, one would think that its staff would be moved to exercise a modicum of caution. This is the goofball equivalent of a copycat crime.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

North Korea is causing itchy fingers on both sides of the Pacific. Little Kim must be lovin’ all the excitement. It’s as if he is almost relevant.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It's a trap, don't fall for this. If you admit to receiving an NHK transmission, they're gonna charge you for it.

Sales tactics. You MUST sign up for NHK mobile alert system because we have exclusive knowledge about NK relations.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Wouldn't surprise me one bit that there is an ulterior motive, "scare"tactics serve a purpose in a country that has media that is strongly influenced by the government. Actions like these bring the people close in line with the current administration's goal of making the JSDF a full fledged military, and amending the constitution as well.

Exactly! This has the stick of the LDP and Abe all over it.

NHK doesn't issue these types of alerts or warnings on their own, they get information from somewhere else first, they are given information from the proper authorities first

Yep. Their paymasters at the LDP. The LDP literally controls NHK.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

So while I can't rule out an ulterior motive, if there were one then this false alarm would have to have been perpetrated by an utter idiot who understands nothing about how other humans think and struggles with basic cause-and-effect reasoning.

katsu78 - and Japanese politicians are not exactly known for their empathy towards the ordinary person! So, I'm with the consensus that this was an intentional false alarm.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Sales tactics. You MUST sign up for NHK mobile alert system because we have exclusive knowledge about NK relations.

Exactly! but now, I have another reason for not signing up- false alarms that scare us for no good reason

3 ( +3 / -0 )

When it happens for real people will be caught out in the open...sayonara

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Only a scam to bring people closer to Abe’s conservative military stance on North Korea!

Koizumi, held talks with North Korea, and what did he accomplish? The returnance of 5 abductees! You have something to live up to Abe! And your ultraconservative «no talks» only increased military pressure stance, won’t solve a thing!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Quite obviously Trump's fault.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Fearmongering plain and simple

5 ( +6 / -1 )

It is interesting the timing of this. Whether significant or not one must admit that the fact these events happened so close together is highly unusual.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Having a boogeyman keeps the populace in line. That was a key element of the book 1984, with the government's use of "Goldberg". (Also, obviously a Jew.)

garypen - and in 1984, it was reckoned by the cynics that the missiles that occasionally hit Oceania were fired by their own people to keep the population scared!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Pyongyang regularly threatens to destroy Japan

news to me. I'm sure the NK leader said he would destroy only america. of course there are bases here, but all of Japan?

agree with most posters, given the cosy relationship of NHK and LDP, abes new expensive toy weapons and his desire to change Article 9 and go to war.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

re: Similar to what happened in Hawaii, it seems both countries militaries and public broadcasters need to have a sit down."

No need to sit down, as one is not related to the other. Calm down as these things do happen and why there are exercises so that no one panics. In the event of a real deal, if you in Japan and have not taken the time to prepare or exercise then your toast and th alert system will not do anyone a bit of good other than those who have bunkers and are at home during the real deal. That in itself eliminates over more than half of the Japan populace.  Will the alert help you nope not one bit.  Other than remind you see you on the other side due to a nuke. Other countries have been preparing their communities and people which only means they are the agressors, the pacifists are just wondering and staring at the sky with disbelief..and then by that time too late..yes Japan is way to late in building bunkers at this stage of the game on only the super rich have the bunkers...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

This should only be triggered by a military directive and should be verified by two persons before the alert is broadcasted.

Here in Hawaii, if incoming missiles are actually detected, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) would transmit alert messages and sound alert sirens only after being informed of the incoming missiles by the US Pacific Command (USPACOM). HI-EMA did not receive anything from USPACOM to indicate missiles were coming. Reportedly, a supposedly long-term and well-trained HI-EMA employee intended to activate a normal, daily shift change routine, but mistakenly started a sequence which would send a Hawaii-wide missile alert message. Astoundingly, after the employee started the sequence, he received a prompt which asked something like "Do you really want to do this?" and he responded YES. That started the whole false alert thing and lots of folks went into panic mode.

One of the improvements that will come out of this mess, is that HI-EMA now requires two-person verification before future such alert messages are transmitted.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Darn, my apologies, the quote should have ended at "before the alert is broadcasted."

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Well, having read most of the opinions above, and not being a cynic, my heart wants to say this was just an accident.

On the other hand, if you create a system, you will always be wondering if it would really work when you pressed the button. For this reason, and in light of Saturday's Hawaiian false alarm, I can imagine someone senior wanting to test the system, just once, and very quickly. Even so, knowing Japan, I suspect that they would have issued numerous warnings beforehand.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

toshiko: "Someone inn NHK used his paranoia imagination of N Korea to create false. explanation."

Why are you defending the system and NHK so strongly and saying it is just one individual? On the Hawaii thread you were blaming the entire US system and talking about how Japan's is more advanced.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Unacceptable. These false warnings are so dangerous. Like some above have already pointed out, maybe this wasn't an accident.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Any android users got this? After switching to it from iphone I get none of these emergency announcements.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

One gets the sense we are being prepped for something.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Good thing I have never visited that website. They probably charge their subscribers per click.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

So sounds like the system set-up to alert everyone by the government is at fault but instead blames NHK.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

OOOps!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Hawaii alert was an "accident," which begs the questions as to why a warning about an incoming missile should be any different than launching one? 

The Hawaiian alert was done by one person, which is different from the procedure for launching one. The new procedure calls for more than one person to give the alert.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Smithinjapan

I think you will find that most of what Toshiko says is simply pro Japan and defending it, and bashing anything that comes from abroad. Including the US army that protects Toshiko and I from being annihilated by the Russians and the Chinese.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japan is way to late in building bunkers at this stage of the game on only the super rich have the bunkers...

Im not super rich and i built one. also have emergency earthquake kits in both cars and my house.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Goodlucktoyou

LOL man! Are you a prepped? Do you accept same day rentals? (in case of missile)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

*”Are you a prepper?”was the question

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just tell ? What kind of joke is that ? This false alarm could trigger mass injuries if not a world war.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

But this false NHK alarm message will enable Japanese Government to review acceptance of private knees broadcasting companies. It has been too long NHK monopolized as newscasters.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@smith: In public broadcasting business world anchors receive scripts to create speech or read message displayed on oppooosite message screen. It's obvious someone created message including N. Korea.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@smith: Please read 'Sokuhou' on top photo pic. It does not say 'NHK HouDou.'. This is because an employee created the message.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

99% of the earthquake alerts are also false. These false alerts defeat the purpose of having them at all because people just thing they are another false alarm and ignore them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The news on the photo.. Kira Chosen missile hassha no moyou.

It is obvious one employee created story as if he watched missile shooting.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This quick info concluded with SEIFU (Government) " Tatemono no Naka ya Chika ni hinan o " (evacuate to inside of building or underground) Without the name of a gov't official signature. When NHK give sch gov't speech, anchor does not speak but. converse. with gov't official.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In Hawaii it was "incoming!", whereas with NHK it was "indication of a possible launch" 発射の模様 with no mention of targets. These two are surely very different scenarios.

Besides, these warnings in Japan have been issued before when DPRK has actually sent missiles over, so the populace is a little more used to them and resigned to the fact that nowhere is safe. No ingredients for panic.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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