Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Tuesday it would be improper for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to accept an invitation to observe North Korea's planned rocket launch when Tokyo is calling for a halt to the launch.
Fujimura was referring to an invitation by Pyongyang to JAXA to visit North Korea and attend its planned launch between April 12 and 16.
The launch is seen by Japan, the United States and South Korea as cover for a long-range ballistic missile test.