Japan's parliament convened a 150-day ordinary session on Friday, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida set to be grilled over a political fundraising scandal that has continued to rattle his ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
During the Diet session through June 23, the government's response to a powerful earthquake in central Japan on New Year's Day is also likely to be a key item on the agenda, as the disaster-hit areas will accelerate efforts toward reconstruction, lawmakers said.
The government and the ruling bloc are seeking an early passage of a draft budget for the fiscal year starting in April worth ¥112.57 trillion ($762 billion), which was increased in the wake of the quake that hit the Noto Peninsula on the Sea of Japan coast.