Time Machine: What would happen if a North Korean missile hit Tokyo Dome?

This story originally ran in the Japanese newspaper Yukan Fuji in 2017.

TOKYO — What would happen if a North Korean missile hit Tokyo Dome? Given the present unreliability of NK guidance systems that is not very likely (A missile could wind up anywhere) but if by chance one did hit the mark, how much damage would it cause? For the answer to that question I consulted a couple of ex-military nuclear experts whom I have known for quite a while.

The first was Grant Newsham, A retired Marine officer, former U.S. Embassy Tokyo Military Attache and presently a military consultant and media columnist.

Said Newsham, “It is likely that if the missile was a conventional missile, it would carry a conventional war head of about 1000 - 2000 lbs (500-1000kgs). This sounds like a lot, and it is a lot in a certain sense. But the damage would not be all that serious when you consider the size of Tokyo and the surrounding area. If it hit Tokyo Dome or the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi, you probably would not be able to use either place again, and it would not be good for you if you were in either place.