North Korea didn't carry out the expected rocket launch Saturday but Japan, on heightened alert, jumped the gun at one point midday and declared there was liftoff, only to quickly retract the announcement.
Pyongyang had said it planned to launch the rocket, which it claims is carrying a communications satellite, between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. sometime from Saturday to Wednesday. Tokyo believed Saturday was the most likely day for the launch, given the relatively favorable weather.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura told reporters: "We have ended the tight security measures for today, but they will be back on tomorrow, and we will continue to act with a sense of urgency."