A basic law for reconstructing the Tohoku region, including plans to form a new agency dedicated to this task, cleared the Diet Monday, more than three months after the megaquake and tsunami calamity.
The legislation was approved by a majority vote not only by the ruling Democratic Party of Japan but also with support from the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito and other opposition parties.
"The objective of the law is a smooth and swift implementation of measures to reconstruct the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster zone . . . and to realize an economic society in which the people will be able to rest assured and live a rich life now and in the future," the bill stipulates.