Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone on Tuesday slammed the Democratic Party of Japan's foreign policies for "being irresponsible" and "lacking specifics."
On the day the Lower House was dissolved for a snap election Aug. 30, Nakasone criticized the main opposition party's tactics, including effectively killing a bill to allow inspections of vessels sailing to or from North Korea.
"It is regrettable that the bill did not clear the Diet," Nakasone told reporters, adding that Japan has a responsibility to conduct checks of ships in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874.