Japan's Parliament Deadlocks as Wage and Reform Fights Sharpen

Japan's political institutions showed fresh signs of strain as confrontation between the governing and opposition parties spread to the lower house, with opposition lawmakers refusing to take part in deliberations after the government moved forward with bills on the allocation of seats in Japan's parliament (the Diet) and a proposed secondary capital.

On economic policy, the government is considering delaying its minimum-wage target. Japan's average minimum hourly wage in the fiscal year that ended in March stood at 1,121 yen, up 6.3 percent from the previous year, but officials are weighing whether the pace of increases can be sustained without harming smaller employers.

The legislative agenda also included a bill approved in committee that would penalize defacing the national flag, a measure aimed at conservative voters. The combination of procedural gridlock and contested economic policy points to a less predictable governing environment in the world's most indebted large economy.