The government will not intercept missiles that pass over Japan or target other countries because doing so would be construed as collective self-defense, which goes against its pacifist constitution, Kyodo News said.

Collective self-defense is the right to use force to counter a foreign attack on an allied country.

The Japanese government, which will deploy the missile defense system in 2007, will explain the decision during the upcoming parliament sessions, Kyodo reported, citing government sources.

Tokyo and Washington began to study a missile interception shield after North Korea shocked the world in 1998 by firing a long-range Taepodong-1 missile over Japan.

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