Seoul, South Korea ? Japan hinted it could down an incoming North Korean rocket, but analysts said the communist country will go ahead with a planned April launch with little fear of the consequences.

The North announced this week it will send a satellite into orbit between April 4-8, saying it would fly over Japan and designating a “danger” zone off the neighboring country in order to warn international shipping and aviation to avoid the area.

The rocket’s first stage is expected to fall in waters less than 75 miles from Japan’s northwestern shore, according to coordinates Pyongyang provided to U.N. agencies. The other zone where the second stage should fall lies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean between Japan and Hawaii.

The U.S. and other governments have warned that any rocket launch — whether missile test or satellite — would violate a 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution banning North Korea from ballistic missile activity.

“We protest a launch, and strongly demand it be canceled,” Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said Friday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said the country reserves the right to take out the rocket if it looks like it could hit.