North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Thursday, NHK reported citing the Japanese government.
The country is banned from testing ballistic missiles, considered threatening weapons, under UN Security Council resolutions.
This is the first such test since Joe Biden became US president. Both Japan and South Korea have condemned the test.
The development comes days after North Korea reportedly fired two non-ballistic missiles into the Yellow Sea. Meanwhile, Japan said no debris had fallen within its territorial waters.
The US Pacific Command, which oversees military forces in the Asia-Pacific region, said on Thursday that the test highlighted “the threat that North Korea’s illicit weapons programme poses to its neighbours and the international community”.
North Korea last fired ballistic missiles a year ago amid stalled relations between then-US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.