Japan parliament convenes for 150-day regular session, eyes tax hikes

Japan's parliament convened for a 150-day ordinary session on Monday, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government set to be grilled over possible tax hikes that would cover a planned expansion of defense spending and policies related to raising children.In the regular Diet session through June 21, ruling and opposition parties are also expected to clash over the budget for the next fiscal year starting in April alongside other key bills, including one regarding nuclear reactors.During the session, a spate of local elections is scheduled to be held in spring, while Japan is also slated to…READ FULL ARTICLE