The Diet convened Thursday, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party aiming to get key bills passed, including one to set up a referendum on amending the Constitution and several more aimed at education reform.
Abe's public approval rating has dropped since he took office and he hopes to gain some political momentum for the House of Councilors election in July by getting legislation enacted on his key agenda issues by the June 23 end of the Diet session.
"Through discussions at the Diet, I would like to explain to the public the direction we are trying to take," Abe told reporters Wednesday evening.
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