Japan Diet passes "2nd capital" bill as 2026 main session effectively ends

TOKYO - Japan's parliament on Friday passed ruling bloc-sponsored legislation to create a "second capital" as a backup for Tokyo in emergencies such as disasters, paving the way for this year's main session to end after an eight-day extension.

The legislation had faced harsh backlash from the opposition camp, which argued that it was tailored only to the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party, the junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.