Brushing off a stern outcry from the opposition camp, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition rammed a contentious bill to criminalize conspiracy through the Diet Thursday morning, after it resorted to the extremely rare tactic of outright bypassing its committee-level approval.
The enactment of the revised anti-organized crime law was a triumphant moment for Abe, who has spent the bulk of this ordinary Diet session touting the bill as a much-needed boost to Japan's counterterrorism capability as the nation gears up for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The expedited pace with which the bill was passed, however, suggested Abe wanted to wrap up the Diet session as soon as possible to avoid being grilled by the opposition over allegations of favoritism involving the Okayama-based Kake Gakuen school operator run by his close friend.