Opposition lawmakers are bombarding rookie Defense Minister Tomomi Inada with a barrage of questions in an ongoing Diet committee, attempting to trip her up, cast doubt on her abilities and apparently even reduce her to tears.

Since the Lower House Budget Committee kicked off last week, Inada, who was appointed defense minister in the August reshuffle of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet, has taken the brunt of sustained questioning from the main opposition Democratic Party.

She has so far avoided making a fatal mistake but has struggled at times, and at one point Abe felt obligated to come to her defense.