TOKYO — A parliamentary committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would expand the role of Japan’s military after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling bloc forced the vote in the face of protests from some lawmakers and citizens.
Opposition lawmakers tried to stop the committee vote as hundreds of citizens protested outside.
The unpopular legislation was crafted after Abe’s Cabinet adopted a new security policy last year that reinterpreted a part of Japan’s post-World War II constitution that only permitted the nation’s military to use force for its self-defense. The bills in question would allow Japan to also defend aggression against its allies — a concept called collective self-defense.
Protesters waving anti-war and anti-Shinzo Abe placards stage a rally in front of the Parliament building after a parliamentary committee approved legislation that would expand the role of Japan's military in Tokyo, Wednesday, July 15, 2015. AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama
