The first extraordinary Diet session under the administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan convened Friday, with the opposition looking to pressure the ruling coalition following the recent loss of its Upper House majority.
The Diet session will last through Aug. 6, with Kan to participate in his first round of debates since he took over the government's top spot following the early-June resignation of Yukio Hatoyama. The abbreviated session is mainly for picking the Upper House chief and heads of standing committees.
In a morning news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku told reporters the ruling Democratic Party of Japan should not be daunted despite the recent setback in the Upper House election.