As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government rammed the controversial state secrecy bill through the Lower House last week, what seemed to become evident is that even his Cabinet ministers lack a coherent understanding of the content, breeding even more skepticism among the public.
Abe said he will ensure a thorough deliberation at the House of Councilors to ease public concerns, but with the extraordinary Diet session set to end Friday, it is unclear how much time the chamber will have to scrutinize the legislation.
Throughout the deliberations to date, Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party-led administration have failed to provide clear answers on critical issues centering on the range of state secrets, how the government will guarantee the public's right to know and freedom of the press, and how the designation process will be monitored and by whom.