The ruling bloc extended the extraordinary Diet session Friday by another month to Jan. 15, making it certain the contentious bill to resume the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Indian Ocean support mission will clear the divided legislature.
It is the first time in 19 years that an extraordinary Diet session has been extended twice. The current session, which opened in September, has already been extended 35 days beyond its original closing date of Nov. 10.
Amid strong protest from the opposition parties, the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc used its comfortable majority in the Lower House to pass the 31-day extension, which buys them more time to debate the bill.