The government still intends to submit a bill to make the Hinomaru the official flag and "Kimigayo" the national anthem during the current Diet session, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Wednesday, denying reports that the government had given up on the bill for this session.
The government, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Liberal Party had earlier decided to try to get the bill passed during the current Diet session, which ends June 17, but opposing sentiments grew stronger Tuesday following remarks by some LDP officials.
Nonaka said it is truly regrettable that the issue has been reported in such a way, and stressed during a news conference, "As of today, the government's policy to submit the Cabinet-sponsored bill to the current session has not changed."