'Missile launch. Missile launch' - North Korea test a rude awakening for northern Japan

The Japanese government's alert message notifying citizens of a ballistic missile launch by North Korea, which was sent to mobile and smart phones located in Japan's Hokkaido and Tohoku (Northeast) region, is seen on the display of a smart phone, in Sendai, northern Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo August 29, 2017. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - Ai Onodera was sound asleep in Hokkaido, northern Japan on Tuesday when an alarm on her mobile phone jolted her awake at 6:02 am: “Missile launch. Missile launch. North Korea appears to have fired a missile. Take refuge in a solid building or underground.”

Four minutes earlier, at 5:58 a.m., North Korea had launched its first ballistic missile to fly over Japan since 2009, and it was headed her way, toward Japan's northernmost main island.