In 1998, when North Korea last fired a Taepodong missile in the general direction of Japan, the weaknesses of the US-Japan alliance were plain. The two sides failed to share intelligence and squabbled publicly over Pyongyang’s probable intent. This time they have been like twins, holding press conferences with virtually identical wording and proclaiming their admiration for each other’s intelligence-gathering skills.

Shinzo Abe, chief cabinet secretary and frontrunner to become Japan’s prime minister in September, said: “The difference with 1998 is that now we have a very strong alliance with the US. The US is standing by Japan. We have strong intelligence co-operation and Japan has better intelligence-gathering capabilities than it had before.”