The contentious state secrets bill is about to be put to a Lower House vote after a set of amendments that retain its basic aim — to solidify the administrative branch's supremacy over people through almost unlimited control of government information. The changes made it even clearer that the government plans to monopolize discretion to classify information on security, diplomacy, counter-intelligence and anti-terrorism as "special secrets" to be hidden from the public, and rejects any substantive oversight of the process by independent bodies.

The opposition parties that agreed to the amendments failed to perform their duty to check the ruling bloc led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party. By accepting changes that do little to address grave concerns about the bill, they backed the LDP-led coalition's bid to stage the appearance of a broad consensus in support of the controversial legislation.

Take the example of an amendment agreed on through talks between the ruling coalition and Your Party. The prime minister will be involved "from a third-party viewpoint" when heads of administrative bodies classify information and can seek explanation or call for changes if necessary. But how can the prime minister serve as an independent third party to the heads of administrative bodies — who in most cases are the very members of the Cabinet that he leads?