Japan's defense minister has ordered interceptor missile units to prepare for the DPRK's planned rocket launch next month. Tokyo took the same measures in 2009, in anticipation of a previous DPRK satellite test. The "Unha-3" rocket is expected to fly over western Japan including part of Okinawa, raising concerns that a failed launch, or a falling stage of the rocket, could endanger Japanese lives or property. Naoki Tanaka, Japanese Defense Minister, said, "Earlier today, the Defense Ministry ordered the Self Defense force to prepare for deployment of destroyers and mobile missile launchers. The decision was made following the DPRK's recent announcement of the launch, ordering the Air Defense Command and other defense forces to make necessary preparations to be readied in areas near the planned trajectory."

日本政府23日指示航空自衛隊做好準備，激活防空系統，以應對朝鮮計劃中的衛星發射。與此同時，田中直紀當天下令在沖繩島及附近地區和海域部署“愛國者3”型攔截導彈和裝備標準3”型海基攔截導彈的宙斯盾級戰艦。日本專家先前判斷，如果朝鮮發射衛星、運載火箭進入日本空域，最有可能從沖繩上空掠過。朝鮮方面上星期宣布定于4月12日至16日發射“光明星3號”觀測衛星，以紀念4月15日的金日成百年誕辰紀念日。屆時，“銀河3號”運載火箭將從朝鮮平安北道鐵山郡的西海衛星發射場向南發射。田中直紀19日回應，就朝鮮運載火箭可能經過日本上空或在日本境內墜落的情況，考慮向自衛隊下達用彈道導彈防御系統攔截火箭的命令。