Following a notably brief debate, a Lower House committee on Friday approved a bill to promote the understanding of sexual minorities, clearing the way for its passage in the House of Representatives early next week.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition reached an agreement with two opposition parties — Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) — over an amended version of the bill submitted to parliament in mid-May ahead of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) and Reiwa Shinsengumi voted against the bill, as they have championed another bill drafted by a group of ruling and opposition parties in 2021.