Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday that Japan welcomes the adoption of a United Nations Security Council resolution on condemning a rocket launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on December 12.

Japan "highly appreciates" the unanimous adoption of the UN Security Council resolution 2087, "condemning as a firm message of the international community" the launch of the missile by DPRK, said Kishida in a statement.

He said that Japan strongly urged the DPRK "to heed the firm message of the international community seriously" and "not to conduct any further provocative acts including further launches and nuclear tests."

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also praised the adoption of the resolution, saying the resolution reflects Japan's thinking to a large degree.