A bell will sound Monday to mark the opening of the extraordinary Diet session and the legislative debut of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's administration.
But neither the ruling Democratic Party of Japan nor the opposition, which now mainly means the once long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party, are likely to come out swinging.
"In effect, deliberations will kick off beginning from next year's ordinary Diet session," DPJ Diet affairs chief Kenji Yamaoka said earlier this month.