Major powers meet on N.Korea at UN, still no deal

* U.S., Japan say meeting was "productive"

* Diplomats say Japan, China show no sign of compromise

* Washington, Tokyo seen differing on need for resolution (Adds diplomats on difference between Japanese, U.S. positions, paragraph 9)

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS, April 9 (Reuters) - The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Japan met on Thursday to discuss ways of ending the impasse over a U.N. response to North Korea's rocket launch but again failed to clinch a deal.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice and her Japanese counterpart Yukio Takasu both called the meeting "productive."

"Our work continues," Rice told reporters after the 40-minute meeting.

Takasu said he looked forward to a "strong and unified message from the Security Council", adding that Tokyo had not changed its position that a legally binding resolution would be better than a nonbinding statement in response to the launch.

He added that the meeting "was very productive and we agreed to continue consultations".

The United States, Japan and South Korea say North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile on Sunday, not a satellite, in violation of a Security Council resolution banning the firing of such missiles.

Japan has been pushing for a council resolution that would declare Pyongyang in violation of resolution 1718, but Russia and China, which are permanent veto-wielding council members, oppose this. They are not convinced the rocket launch, which North Korea says put a satellite into orbit, was a violation.

U.N. diplomats say negotiations on a U.N. response have been deadlocked for days, with neither the Chinese nor Japanese showing much willingness to compromise.

Washington, they say, has indicated it might be willing to accept a nonbinding statement rather than a resolution, which the Americans fear might take too long, if one can be agreed at all. But Japan's delegation insists on getting a resolution, fearing failure to get one would result in heavy domestic criticism, diplomats say.

The meeting followed talks between Japan's vice foreign minister Shintaro Ito and China's U.N. envoy Zhang Yesui. Ito, who came to New York to take part in discussions on North Korea, told reporters earlier that "Japan needs a resolution" that would condemn the rocket launch.

It was not immediately clear after Thursday's meetings if Japan and the five permanent council members -- United States, Britain, France, China and Russia -- were any closer to a compromise that would enable the full 15-nation council to pass a resolution or statement soon responding to the launch.

"I hope so," one diplomat close to the negotiations told Reuters. (Editing by Mohammad Zargham)