North Korea can strike Japan with nuclear-armed ballistic missiles, according to the recently released Defense of Japan 2022 White Paper, which also states that the weapons Pyongyang has tested this year pose unique challenges to Tokyo's defense networks.

The annual report released Friday also introduced an argument for “counter-strike capabilities” for the first time. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) proposed earlier this year that Tokyo expand counterstrike options against possible North Korean attacks.