Japan has launched its fourth spy satellite

This is a radar satellite. In doing so, Japan expanded its ability to monitor activities around the world and, in particular, to observe developments in North Korea's nuclear program 

Japan launched on Saturday (February 24, 2007) a spy satellite whose main purpose is to monitor what is happening in North Korea, especially its nuclear program. The satellite was launched together with a remote May experimental satellite in southern Japan on an H-2A launcher, described as the workhorse of the Japanese space program.

The launch was delayed three times, and when it was finally carried out it was successful. Television footage showed the missile soaring through the cloudy sky. The launch of the radar satellite upgrades the Japanese space program and brings to fruition the decision to give it the ability to observe North Korea and the other areas that Japan wants to see what is happening 24 hours a day. In Japan, there is criticism of the plan according to which the expenditure is too great on images with a lower resolution than can be purchased on the free market, and in any case Japan will continue to depend on the US for its basic intelligence. 

As mentioned, together with the intelligence satellite, the launcher also carried an experimental optical satellite, which should improve the level of accuracy of the observed details. Japan's current satellites are capable of distinguishing details that are a meter or more in diameter.
In 2003, two Japanese intelligence satellites crashed when the launch vehicle exploded during takeoff. If not, Japan should have had four intelligence satellites a long time ago.