Japan Press Weekly

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2026 July 15 - 21 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Takaichi gov’t extends Diet session solely to enact ‘2nd capital city’ bill

On July 17, as the special Diet session was set to end, the Takaichi government, comprised of the Liberal Democratic Party and the “Nippon Ishin no Kai” party, pushed for an extension of the session until July 25.

The Japanese Communist Party, the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Democratic Party for the People, and the “Sanseito” party opposed implementing the extension.

JCP Executive Committee Chair Tamura Tomoko held a press conference and stated that extending the special Diet session was an act of “partisan self-interest” and “the privatization of the Diet” intended to force through the “second capital city” bill, which the “Ishin” is adamant about passing. She declared, “Our party is firmly opposed to both the extension and this bill.”

She criticized the ruling coalition for passing a series of laws that violate the Constitution, such as the “national flag desecration law” and the revised Imperial House Law, on what should have been the final day of the Diet session, while failing to implement any measures to protect people’s livelihoods and businesses from severe inflation.

She also criticized the revised Retrial Act, which was enacted on the same day in defiance of protests from victims of wrongful convictions, for violating basic human rights.