The major opposition parties Friday stepped up pressure on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to convene an extraordinary Diet session to address public confusion stemming from his government's coronavirus response.

The opposition bloc is dissatisfied with Abe, who they say has not fulfilled his responsibility to explain recent policy decisions in his own words, including the government's last-minute flip-flop over the Go To Travel initiative and efforts to help heavily damaged areas in the southwest recover fron torrential rain.

The four opposition parties submitted a formal request to Lower House speaker Tadamori Oshima on Friday to have a Diet session held in line with a constitutional provision.