INSIGHT
THE WORLD GASPED on 28 August when North Korea leader Kim Jong Un ordered the launch of an ICBM ( intercontinental ballistic missile ) directly over Japan . North Korea was no longer being viewed as an archaic joke , beating its chest to no one but itself . North Korea was now a deadly serious threat .
For many Japanese people , already alarmed by the news filtering in of its neighbour ’ s supposed nuclear threat , the missile that flew over their heads this August confirmed their very worst fears . North Korea could hurt Japan .
The fear of the rogue state has been palpable in Japan for some time . Indeed , sales of nuclear shelters and respirators designed to deal with sarin gas have been rising steadily over the past two years . The Japanese government has screened a 30-second , primetime warning on TV , advising citizens to take shelter inside concrete bunkers during an attack . The TV broadcast actually heightened the sense of fear , with many panic-buying food and supplies . Many Japanese towns have been conducting evacuation procedures since the first missiles landed within Japan ’ s exclusive
THE AVERAGE PRICE FOR A SHELTER IS AROUND
$ 25,000
economic zone last March , and when North Korea celebrated its birthday recently , 60,000 Japanese people prepared to evacuate their homes .
Sales of nuclear bunkers have spiked also , with many manufacturers experiencing a year ’ s worth of sales in a month as the Japanese population looks to ‘ shelter manufacturers ’ to keep them safe in the event of a missile strike , both from a direct blast and the
20 October 2017