Wartime legislation controls people's daily life

At a House of Representatives Special Committee meeting on May 16, Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukuda Yasuo said that the cabinet considers applying "in the event of war" the 1973 law, which was enacted to deal with an oil crisis and skyrocketing prices.

The Bill to Respond to Armed Attacks states that the government will take measures to control citizens' lives and the economy ostensibly to keep prices stable and secure the distribution of the bare necessities of life in the event of an armed attack on Japan.

The chief cabinet secretary also said that the government is considering applying more measures, including 1) instructions concerning production and imports under the "emergency measures law to stabilize citizens' life"; 2) instructions and orders concerning selling goods under the "emergency measures law to prohibit the buying up or holding back of daily goods"; and 3) restriction on oil consumption under the "law to keep the balance of supply and demand of oil."

The first and second laws allow the government to order private companies to produce or sell goods and punish those who violate them. With the last law the government can limit citizens' consumption of oil.

The legislation aims to mobilize people and control their daily life in wartime. (end)