Scuffles have broken out in Japan's upper house ahead of a vote on a controversial move by the government to expand the role of the armed forces.
The bills would amend Japan's pacifist constitution to allow it to defend its allies overseas even when it is not under attack.
They have already been approved by the government-dominated lower house.
Opposition lawmakers on Thursday morning tried to physically prevent the debate from taking place.
In rare heated scenes, jostling members of the upper house surrounded the chairman of the security committee, Yoshitada Konoike, as he opened the debate, trying to snatch paperwork from him, in an attempt to stop it going ahead.
The opposition also tabled a no-confidence vote against Mr Konoike.
A session that began on Wednesday night was abandoned in the early hours of the morning after opposition lawmakers blocked entry to a room where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other ministers were waiting to discuss the bill.
EPA
ReutersDelaying tactics
Once the committee has voted on the bills, they will be forwarded to the upper house, where the ruling coalition has a majority, for a final vote.
This could happen by the end of the week, and is widely expected to be approved, which is why its opponents have been trying to prevent the committee meeting going ahead.
If the upper house does not pass the bills within 60 days, they will have to be returned the lower house.
It is a step Mr Abe is thought to be willing to take. His Liberal Democratic Party-led bloc has a two-thirds majority in the lower chamber, the House of Representatives.
Despite his majorities in both houses, the controversial bills, and Mr Abe's determination to push them through despite vocal opposition, appear to have damaged his popularity.
Polls have consistently shown a majority of the public are opposed to the changes, and relatively few strongly support them.
AFPWhat is collective self-defence?
Japan's post-World War Two constitution bars it from using force to resolve conflicts except in cases of self-defence.
Mr Abe's government has pushed for a change that would revise the laws such that Japan's military would be able to mobilise overseas when these three conditions are met:
- when Japan is attacked, or when a close ally is attacked, and the result threatens Japan's survival and poses a clear danger to people
- when there is no other appropriate means available to repel the attack and ensure Japan's survival and protect its people
- use of force is restricted to a necessary minimum
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters rallied outside the parliament in Tokyo on Wednesday night, with a smaller number appearing again on Thursday to continue their opposition. Thirteen people were reportedly arrested on Wednesday night.
It is thought Mr Abe's government wants to pass the bills before the country goes into a five-day holiday on Saturday, which could provide an opportunity for even bigger protests.
The government says Japan needs to pass the bills, which are welcomed by the US, to ensure regional peace and security in the face of rising Chinese assertiveness. It also says they will allow the country to participate more widely in global peacekeeping missions.
But opponents say the legislation violates Japan's post-war pacifist constitution, and could lead to it being dragged into US-led conflicts.
Despite the likelihood of eventual defeat, opposition to the bills has been credited with helping reverse decades of youth disengagement from politics in Japan. Students in particular, have been closely involved in leading protests once dominated by trade unionists and greying left-wing activists.
AFP
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