The House of Representatives passed a motion Friday demanding the resignation of lawmaker Muneo Suzuki, who was arrested earlier in the week on corruption charges.
Lawmakers took a standing vote at a plenary session to pass the resolution, as agreed earlier in the day among members of the ruling and opposition blocs. The opposition camp had called for an open ballot in a bid to clarify lawmakers' voting behavior.
It is the first time such a resolution has been passed in the Lower House. A similar resolution was cleared by the House of Councilors in 1997 against Tatsuo Tomobe, a former Upper House lawmaker convicted of fraud.