A set of bills on security — prepared by the ruling coalition with the aim of implementing the Abe Cabinet's decision last July to enable Japan to engage in collective self-defense — will no doubt be the main focus of the current Diet session. The Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito have resumed talks to set the basic framework of the legislation by the end of March before tabling it in the latter stage of the legislative session that will last through late June.

Yet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe barely mentioned the legislation in his lengthy key policy speech to the Diet on Thursday, essentially only saying that in order to "protect the lives and happiness of the people ... under radically changing international circumstances," the government will seek to establish security legislation that will enable the nation to "respond to all possible situations in a seamless manner."

The Abe administration may be trying to remain low-key on the issue until the government's fiscal 2015 budget has been approved by the Diet. There is also speculation that the coalition wants to avoid pushing too hard on the issue and thus having an adverse impact on public opinion before the nationwide series of local elections in April. The issue continues to sharply divide voter opinion in media polls, although Abe insists that the proof that his Cabinet decision last year won a mandate from voters is in the ruling bloc's sweeping victories in December's Lower House election.