A censure motion against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, submitted by opposition parties over his finance minister's refusal to accept a report suggesting pensions are inadequate for most retirees, was voted down in the House of Councilors on Monday.
The motion was submitted last Friday, as opposition parties launched a last-minute offensive before the end of the current Diet session Wednesday and an Upper House election in July. The measure was intended to challenge the Abe government's reluctance to address public concerns about the sustainability of the public pension system.
The motion criticized the government's "arrogant political stance that takes the people and the Diet lightly," saying "the situation is so serious that it cannot be tolerated."