The Northern Army of the Ground Self-Defense Force lost an unexploded shell fired from an 84 mm rocket launcher Wednesday during drills in the town of Shikaoi, central Hokkaido, GSDF officials said.
The live shell could explode, according to the officials representing the GSDF 5th Division.
It was fired in the morning at the Shikaribetsu maneuvers field, they said, adding that their division immediately halted the drill in a futile attempt to find the shell.
They concluded that it may have landed outside the field.
During a drill at the field in April 2001, a tracer projectile flew into a greenhouse in the town of Shihoro, about 700 meters away.