The government will cancel a cherry blossom viewing party in Tokyo scheduled for April 14 following North Korea's announcement that it plans to launch a rocket, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Friday.
The government of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda made the decision "to prepare for any contingencies," Fujimura said.
Last week, Pyongyang announced it plans to launch a "satellite" from April 12-16 to mark the centennial of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder, on April 15.
The event at Tokyo's Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is held annually but also was canceled last year due to the March 2011 natural and nuclear disasters.
Around 10,000 luminaries would have attended the event hosted by Noda, including members of the Imperial family, the Cabinet, diplomats and other invitees from various fields.