Japan has sent its latest spy satellite into orbit amid the growing nuclear and missile threat from North Korea.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the country's largest defence contractor, launched an H-2A F38 rocket carrying a spy satellite at the Tanegashima Space Centre, about 1,000km southwest of Tokyo.
The satellite was put into orbit 20 minutes later as scheduled, the agency said.
Tuesday's launch, which was originally scheduled for Sunday, was postponed twice due to bad weather.
Japan will utilise the optical reconnaissance satellite to monitor developments at North Korean missile launch facilities and for other purposes. The country has increased the number of such satellites to seven.
The spy satellite program was introduced after a missile fired from North Korea in 1998 flew over Japan's mainland, spooking the Japanese public.
Pyongyang has enhanced its nuclear and missile programs under leader Kim Jong Un, conducting a nuclear test in September and launching ballistic missiles that overflew Japanese territory last year.
