The ruling and opposition camps locked horns in the Diet on Tuesday over the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, with the Cabinet minister who brokered the deal ruling out any renegotiation of the free trade pact.
Tuesday's session of the Lower House Budget Committee was the first encounter between the ruling and opposition camps since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his Cabinet last month.
The opposition, led by the Democratic Party of Japan, has demanded that the ruling coalition hold an extraordinary Diet session. The ruling bloc has rejected that call.