An estimated 1.7 million people took part in May Day rallies at some 1,070 locations nationwide Monday, calling on the government to alleviate the worsening employment situation and protect workers' rights, but the labor minister was conspicuously absent from the festivities.
Japan's jobless rate, which stood at a record-high 4.9 percent for the second straight month in March, and bills aimed at stimulating corporate restructuring formed the backdrop to this year's gatherings, the 71st May Day observations in Japan.
Labor Minister Takamori Makino did not attend the rally in Tokyo organized by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), the nation's largest umbrella labor group, due to a recent standoff between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Rengo over an LDP proposal to ban labor unions from automatically deducting dues from union members' wages.