On Monday, North Korea launched a missile over northern Japan. The Japan Times reported:
Japan has apparently warned citizens about the possibility of a North Korean missile strike. Japan did not make any move to retaliate or shoot down the missile.
This is not the first attempt by North Korea verging on Japanese territory. Here is a list of North Korean projectiles that have landed in the Sea of Japan this year alone, or in Japan’s economic zone: July 28, July 4, June 8, May 21, May 13, April 4, March 6, February 11.
North Korea is playing a dangerous game here, but the chances of a serious retaliation by the West are extraordinarily low thanks to North Korea’s continued threats to Seoul. With that said, the calculus changes quickly if North Korea actually strikes Japan.