False terrorist attack alert issued in central Tokyo

Even if they had announced a Terrorist attack, the quality of the sound system is so poor that the words are just mumbles and hard to distinguish. The only thing that these speakers are good for, is playing the 5pm "time to go home" music.

Uehara: "Perhaps the panel was in English."

LOL yes, I can well imagine it.

"Red Button Egg on your Face Warning! PUSH only in emergency. Once 84 outdoor loudspeakers and 200 indoors receivers have been activated, cannot be switched off for a minimum of one hour, and may go on for several more."

So what is the procedure for this panic alarm? Wait for further instruction? That basically did not come?

There is a big difference between foreign terrorism and domestic terrorism. The Sarin gas attack was a domestic act of terrorism. Dcog meant foreign terrorism. Japan has never experience a foreign act of terrorism, but has suffered terrorist attacks by Japan based groups. Both Aum Shinrikyo and The East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front were both Japanese groups. Because of its nature, a domestic act of terrorism is a lot harder to stop than a foreign act of terrorism. Just ask the US.

when officials were checking how to activate the warning system

perhaps the panel was in English lol.

The municipality said it was caused by human error when officials were checking how to activate the warning system

No one knew how to turn it on? And the solution to that was randomly press buttons? I'm so glad Japan has no nuclear weapons.

Readers, no bickering please. Focus your comments on the story and not at each other.

LOL

Nothing before 9/11 is valid

Nothing after 9/11 is valid either.

@zichi: Like I asked smith, anything since 9/11? That's when modern anti-terrorism measures were implemented. Also, 1970?! Should we also go back to the 1600s as well for good measure..?

Nothing before 9/11 is valid

@smith: Of course everyone knows that terrorist incident which occurred over 20 years ago now, but generally we talk about post-9/11 where most modern anti-terrorism measures came into place.

Not one single attack since then by foreign terrorists so far means that the foreign embittered are being properly monitored in Japan and they know their place. This is good news and glad we are being protected properly, unlike other countries around the world. Well done to the security services here!

dcog: "Well still not a single terrorist attack yet in Japan"

Really? I guess you don't know much about your own history and culture -- which shows in your posts and xenophobic remarks -- if you can't even recall the 1995 Tokyo Sarin Gas attack, which is still mentioned weekly, and was only mentioned a few days ago in regards to UN fears about Japan's dealing with the death penalty.

Oops! Extremely gross oversights like this DO tend to happen when you get wildly defensive instead of looking at the fact that this is about very poor management of the terrorist alert system they spent heaps on putting in place.

Do some homework, bud.

Wow! I can't believe how unprepared we are for a terrorist attack.

Would be a shame if there was an acccidental terror alert during the Olympic Games followed by an actual TERROR ATTACK!

Well still not a single terrorist attack yet in Japan

@ dcog - I would suggest that you do a little research into Japanese history in the 1990s. It is a lie - and an insult - to the thousands of victims of the Japanese terror group of that time - and their multiple terror attacks on innocent people - to state there "has not been a single terror attack in Japan."

Aside from this hiccup, I sincerely hope the authorities here are monitoring domestic potential terror groups much better these days.

The ruling clique, hemorrhaging support and popularity in freefall due to all the nepotism scandals, increasingly marginalized and shown to be ineffectual by an America that’s no longer prepared to tolerate any more BS on trade, and now contemplating the loss of its one ace card, the North Korean bogeyman. This has got false flag written all over it.

Dcog, an exaggeration...

I’m sure the US and Europe do not see one every week...as for Japan , what about the 1995 sarin attack in Tokyo? Just because it was committed by Japanese it is still classed as a terrorist incident.

Also, what do you mean by ‘highly embittered’ foreigners?

Ramping up the fear factor again when Japan might be losing another bogeyman (NK)?

Well still not a single terrorist attack yet in Japan, whereas the US and Europe see one every week. So I’d say the authorities can be forgiven for this mistake.

Although with more tourists coming into the country the risk is getting higher, and higher vigilance than normal is required. The biggest risk are foreigners in Japan who are highly embittered, and they should be monitored heavily and removed if stepped out of line

Here we go again. Just in case you forgot;

Tears and panic as false missile alert unnerves Hawaii

HONOLULU (Reuters) - Panic and confusion swept Hawaii on Saturday as a mistaken alert about a ballistic missile attack spread across the Pacific U.S. state, sending residents and tourists scrambling for shelter and questioning why an all-clear was not issued faster.

"These idiots in Hawaii who issued the alert should have their pay cut for 6 months as penance for their bs!"

Good Idea!

Expect more BS posts from sanctimonious foreigners in the future.

So peace in Korea, so the desperate govt needs another bogeyman. Expect more of this terror threat in the future.

Just that people are going to pay it less attention.

They know it works now.

The municipality said it was caused by human error when officials were checking how to activate the warning system.

So...they put in a system that no one in authority knew how to operate. They should have called the PT worker who probably installed it, and knows the system top to bottom, better than all these fools!

The false alarm was retracted an hour later by email and also through the loudspeakers a few hours later, according to the municipality.

Yeah, and just what did the people crapping in their pants do for those two hours before the retraction was announced ? Wait, no one did anything anyway and just went on their merry way...

These idiots who issued the alert should have their pay cut for 6 months as penance for their bs!

How much does anyone want to bet that it wasn't an "accident"!