Defense Minister Minoru Kihara confirmed Friday that Tokyo believes “some kind of object is orbiting the Earth,” days after North Korea claimed the successful launch of a military spy satellite.
Kihara declined to say whether that launch was successful, but said the latest assessment has been made while working together with the U.S. and South Korea.
"We need to continue to carefully analyze the details, including whether the satellite is orbiting the Earth as intended and is performing its intended functions."