Japan's government has compiled a plan to resume evacuation drills in light of the increased number of missile launches by North Korea.

The move is in response to the North's frequent launches of ballistic missiles so far this year. The government already announced plans to resume the drills for the first time in four years in cooperation with local authorities.

Under the plan, drills will be held from late September to late January in 10 municipalities in eight prefectures, including Hokkaido, Niigata, Kagawa and Okinawa.

They will be held on the assumption that a ballistic missile powerful enough to reach Japan has been fired.

During the drills, information will be conveyed to residents through the public wireless system and by other means.

Authorities will check procedures to have residents evacuate to sturdy buildings or to underground shelters.

Similar drills had been conducted in 29 localities since 2017, at a time when North Korea launched many ballistic missiles.

But the government suspended the drills following the US-North Korea summit meeting in June 2018, citing an improvement in the security situation.