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North Korea has fired a missile that passed over northern Japan today.

The government's J-Alert text message warning system and sirens advised people in the area to take precautions and move to a 'sturdy building or basement'.

The Japanese military did not attempt to shoot down the missile, which passed over its territory around 6.06am local time. 

It broke into three pieces off the coast of Hokkaido and landed in the Pacific Ocean, around 700 miles east of Cape Erimo, after travelling 1,700m in eight minutes.

It is the first time North Korea has fired a projectile over Japan since 2009. Kim Jong Un has been conducting a series of test launches and recently threatened the US territory of Guam.

Previous launches by the dictator have always avoided Japan. But any launch towards Guam such flights would have to pass over the Asian island nation.

The launch, from Pyongyang, comes after Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) told South Korean lawmakers at a closed door parliamentary session that it has detected signs of the secretive state preparing for another nuclear test at its Punggye-ri underground test site. 

North Korea has fired a missile that passed over northern Japan today (file photo)

The missile broke into three pieces off the coast of Hokkaido and landed in the North Pacific Ocean, around 700 miles east of Cape Erimo

 Under Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang has made rapid strides in its ballistic missile technology in violation of UN resolutions

Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, described it as an 'unprecedented, grave threat'

The warning text to citizens said: 'A missile was fired from North Korea. Please evacuate to a sturdy building or basement.'

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would do all in his power to protect the Japanese public

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would do all in his power to protect the Japanese public.

'We will make utmost efforts to firmly protect the lives of the people,' Abe told reporters in brief remarks as he entered his office for emergency meetings on the missile firing. 

The country's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, described it as an 'unprecedented, grave threat'.

The warning text to citizens said: 'A missile was fired from North Korea. Please evacuate to a sturdy building or basement.' 

The Pentagon responded, confirming that they were aware of the launch.

A statement read: 'We assess North Korea conducted a missile launch within the last 90 minutes. 

'We can confirm that the missile launched by North Korea flew over Japan. We are still in the process of assessing this launch. 

'North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America. 

'We are working closely with Pacific Command, Strategic Command and NORAD and will provide an update as soon as possible.'

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said he is ‘outraged’ by the ‘reckless provocation’ of North Korea’s latest missile launch. 

North Korea launched a rocket over Japan in 1998 and then a satellite payload in 2009.   

Kim Jong Un has conducted a series of test launches to develop its missile capability and recently threatened to send missiles over western Japan and into waters near the U.S. territory of Guam

The missile broke into three pieces off the coast of Hokkaido and landed in the North Pacific Ocean, around 700 miles east of Cape Erimo

North Korea has previously conducted dozens of missile test. Pictured: The launch of a surface-to-surface medium long-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2 at an undisclosed location

North Korea may be preparing for its sixth nuclear weapon test, South Korean officials have warned 

Kim Jong Un has conducted a series of test launches to develop its missile capability and recently threatened to send missiles over western Japan and into waters near the U.S. territory of Guam.

Japan's military is practicing deploying anti-missile batteries at three U.S. bases in Japan.

The U.S. military says the drills will test the ability of Japanese and U.S. forces to work together and assess firing locations at the bases. They will also allow Japan to practice rapid deployment of its PAC-3 anti-missile system. 

NORTH KOREA CALLS ICBM TEST A 'GLISTENING MIRACLE' 

'Our great leader Kim Jong Un sent a personally handwritten letter 2017, July 3rd, ordering the launch of an intercontinental ballistic rocket (Hwasong 14).

'The launch, that was personally supervised by the great leader KJU himself, will now be followed by the National Institute of Science's report.

'National Science Institute's Report: Intercontinental Ballistic Rocket Hwasong 14 was successful.

'Our dear leader KJU's strategic order was followed by a launch of an ICBM, and this was successfully processed.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un signs the order to carry out the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic rocket

'The newly developed ICBM Hwasong-14 was launched, and this took place on July 4, 2017 at 9am, and flew for 39 minutes.

'It flew from a northwestern city, and flew precisely following the predicted trajectory. It also reached precisely the targeted point in Chosun (Korean) air.

'Our intercontinental ballistic rocket did not at all bring negative impacts to any nearby country.

'Our intercontinental ballistic rocket reached a maximum altitude of 2,802 km, and flew for 933 kilometres.

'Our dear leader KJU was there to witness the glistening miracle.'

'The success of the last stage of becoming a nuclear power state is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile. Hwason 14 shows the unwithering power of our state, our strong independence and defense in the world and will be marked as a significant mark in our history.

'North Korea, as a nuclear state capable of reaching any country in the world with our intercontinental ballistic rocket, will be able to root out the U.S's nuclear program once and for all, and bring peace and secure safety to the Chosun (Korean) peninsula.'

Kim Byung-kee, a lawmaker of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party (DP) said the NIS reported North Korea 'has completed its preparation to carry out a nuclear test at Tunnel 2 and Tunnel 3 of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site.'

He added the NIS had evidence to suggest Tunnel 4 was being readied for more construction work.

Meanwhile the despotic state has continued to test a variety of missiles, the US military has said.

It fired three short range ballistic missiles which revived tensions with Washington after President Donald Trump had said Pyongyang was starting to show some 'respect'.

The launches come as tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops take part in joint military drills in the south of the peninsula, which the North views as highly provocative.

Following an initial US assessment saying that two of the missiles had 'failed in flight', a spokesman for the US Pacific Command later said the two weapons had not failed but 'flew approximately 250 kilometres (155 miles) in a northeastern direction'.

One of the three missiles blew up 'almost immediately', with none of the weapons posing a threat to either North America or the US territory of Guam, the spokesman said.

Lee Il-Woo, an analyst at Korea Defence Network, said the launches represented a 'low-level provocative act' carried out in response to the US-South Korea exercises, which are seen by Pyongyang as a rehearsal for an invasion of its own territory.

The joint exercises started on Monday at a time of heightened tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, after two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches carried out by North Korea last month apparently brought most of the United States into range for the first time.

Analyst Yang Uk at the Korea Defence and Security Forum told AFP the latest launches by Pyongyang were 'carefully calibrated... to avoid revving up tensions too high beyond its control'.

The launches, which took place over a span of 30 minutes, came as North Korean state media reported that leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw a military exercise simulating a special forces assault on South Korean border islands involving aircraft, 'multiple-missile launchers' and howitzers. 

A North Korea Scud-B missile (C) is displayed at the Korea War Memorial Museum on Saturday in South Korea

A North Korea Scud-B missile (C) is displayed at the Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea, after ballistic missiles were launched into the East Sea

Neither Japan nor South Korea confirmed the US military's description of the weapons fired by North Korea as 'ballistic missiles'.

South Korea's defence ministry said 'unidentified projectiles', fired at 6:49 am (2149 GMT Friday), flew some 250 kilometres towards the Sea of Japan.

'They could be ballistic missiles but they could be rockets. We are now analysing,' said Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, adding that they did not fly on a 'lofted' trajectory.

Under Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang has made rapid strides in its ballistic missile technology in violation of UN resolutions, and it has been penalised by seven sets of sanctions.

Trump has called on China to play a more active role to rein in its neighbour, which relies heavily on the Asian giant for its economic survival.

Kim Jong-un's 70-year-old air fleet  

North Korean despot Kim Jong-un is preparing his special forces for suicide parachute missions across the border on 70-year-old Stalin era biplanes. 

The dictator has a fleet of 300 Antonov An-2 transport aircraft which are capable of flying as slow as 30 miles-per-hour and can even go backwards into a heavy headwind. 

Footage has emerged of North Korean paratroops jumping from the aged aircraft from very low levels in a show of force. 

Kim Jong-un has around 300 Antonov An-2 aircraft which were designed in 1947

Kim Jong-un, pictured at the controls of one of the ancient aircraft was observing drills involving his elite paratroops who jumped out of the aircraft during a training mission 

The Antonov has an incredibly low stalling speed and a very low radar profile meaning it is difficult to spot at night when flown at low level

The aircraft, which were designed in 1947, have an incredibly low radar profile - meaning they are difficult to track using conventional radar. They also fly at such a slow speed that modern anti-aircraft systems are programmed to ignore their limited returns. 

Also, the aircraft can hug the earth meaning ground-based missile systems will not pick them up and supersonic attack jets will find difficulty in detecting them from above. 

The bottom of the wings and the fuselage of Kim's fleet of aircraft have been painted blue with the top of the wings is green as a form of camouflage to prevent both ground troops and aircraft spotting them.  

The images released by North Korean media show the paratroops bailing out of the aircraft at incredibly low levels. 

If they attempted their mission at night it could be difficult for defending missile units and air-to-air fighters to successfully intercept the old-fashioned machines. 

North Korean paratroops performed for the cameras in a show of force, pictured 

According to The Drive, the aircraft could even land on short sections of road, allowing their troops to disembark and begin a sneak attack. 

It is feared the old aircraft could even deliver a nuclear bomb - possibly in a suicide attack into a strategically vital location. 

It is believed North Korea has at least 1,000 artillery pieces within striking range of Seoul, the South Korean capital, which is home to 25 million people.

Kim has claimed North Korea now has technology to miniaturise its nuclear weapons to fit onto an ballistic missile. 

North Korea could potentially load a bomb onto the back of an An-2 - with its one-tonne cargo capacity - and detonate it over the south.