One is temporarily out of service and the other two are reportedly deployed in waters facing North Korea.

"The Kirishima Aegis-equipped warship will be replaced by three other defense ships in the naval training," a Defense Agency spokesman said.

He declined to elaborate on the reasons, but Kyodo News and Jiji Press, citing unnamed officials, said the abrupt decision was due to the need to keep an eye on North Korea.

US and Asian officials have said North Korea is preparing to launch a long-range Taepodong-2 missile, capable of reaching Japan, Alaska or possibly Hawaii.

The test moves come amid a stalemate in negotiations on ending North Korea's nuclear program.

Japan had sent the Kirishima to Pearl Harbor to take part in the Rim of Pacific Exercise, considered the world's largest international sea drills, which involve eight nations every two years.

Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of North Korea's ruling communist party, on Monday denounced the US-led exercises as "provocative" and said they were aimed at Pyongyang.

North Korea in 1998 fired a Taepodong-1 missile over Japan into the Pacific, prompting Tokyo and Washington to step up cooperation to build missile defenses.

North Korea agreed last year in general terms to give up its nuclear program ine exchange for aid and security guarantees.

But six-nation talks involving the US and North Korea have been at a standstill since November, with Pyongyang protesting US financial sanctions imposed over the regime's alleged money laundering and counterfeiting.

Defense Agency Director-General Fukushiro Nukaga said last week that Japanese ships and planes will "do their utmost" to collect information about a potential North Korean missile launch.

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