The government and the ruling bloc are considering extending the current Diet session to the end of June or early July to secure the passage of a bill on labor reform and another on casinos, lawmakers from the ruling parties said Tuesday.
They also decided to delay until Thursday a Lower House vote on the labor reform bill, which is aimed at addressing Japan's chronic overwork problem. In doing so, they yielded to a demand from opposition parties for more deliberations on the proposed legislation, which is viewed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as the most important agenda item in the ongoing session through June 20. The opposition camp strongly objects to one component of the bill, saying it would exacerbate the country's overwork problem.
In the 150-day parliamentary term, the government also seeks to pass another bill, which will pave the way for casinos to be opened in Japan in the hope of attracting more overseas visitors and boosting regional economies. But opposition parties are opposed to the move as they are concerned about gambling addiction and gambling-related anti-social behavior.