Exactly at 06:02, simultaneously mobile phones in 12 prefectures including in Tokyo and Hokkaido, Japan reads. A typical alarm sound sent by the Sunrise 'J-Alert' government was heard.
It was not the usual earthquake they received, but a missile notice.
A ballistic missile was fired at 5:58 pm North Korea time on Tuesday August 29, 2017. The missile crossed the Japanese sky and crashed in the waters 1,180 km east of Cape Erimo.
Within three minutes after North Korea launched a missile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered officials to gather and analyze other information including activating the alarm alert.
"Missile launches missile launched A missile shot from North Korea Please evacuate to a sturdy or underground building," the text said.
J-Alert was issued in 12 prefectures and as quoted from the Japan Times on (30/8/2017), this is the most widespread alarm spread since the system began to operate in 2007.
Not only on mobile phones, television and radio broadcasts are also interrupted with the warning. Even on Hokkaido Island, fast trains must be stopped to hear announcements from loudspeakers.
Reading messages that are not in the form of an earthquake alert make most people panic. Although, previously they often conduct evacuation drills to deal with how nuclear disasters occur.
However, when the worst thing happens, the reality is still confusing at the same time making Japanese fear.
This was revealed by Ichiro Kondo, a 38-year-old fisherman from the town of Erimo in Hokkaido.
"The warning asked me for an evacuation, but I do not know which building in town is resistant to a missile attack I do not know where to go," he said.
The same thing is felt by Ai Onodera. The 33-year-old woman who lives in the Hokkaido island capital of Sapporo, is shocked. Immediately he called her husband who was in another city.
"I'm afraid I can not see him again," Onodera said.
Not a few Japanese people are confused to receive the message. One of them is a victim of the March 2011 earthquake which still lives in the shelter.
"What do they mean? Strong building, do we have any?" he said in social media.
Residents of Morioka city, capital of Iwate Prefecture, just 300 km from where the North Korean missile is also confused.
"I woke up because the alarm was on my phone, I did not even prepare anything, even when this alarm does not know where to run, we have no basement let alone bomb shelter," said Naori Suzuki
At 06:09, the alarm went off again. This time, coming from Fire and Disaster Management saying that the missiles have passed Hokkaido.
"If you find something strange, please do not ever touch it," added the message from the fire department.
In Hokkaido, police received at least 90 emergency calls. Most questioned where to evacuate.
At least 40 schools, mostly in Hokkaido, and parts of northeastern Japan, are closed.