Overview
- The criminal procedure reform bill that would revise Japan’s retrial rules cleared the lower house and is due for debate in the upper house starting June 19, with passage still likely because the government bloc holds a working majority.
- Because the bill is designated an "important and broad" measure, it requires the prime minister to appear for committee and plenary questioning, which the opposition says it will use to press alleged links between the premier’s camp and smear videos.
- Separately, a Tokyo woman filed a civil suit that was lodged on May 24 seeking deletion of a street-interview video and ¥2.2 million in damages, arguing the producer failed to remove defamatory online comments after publication and used a consent form without explanation.
- International business coverage has raised doubts about SpaceX’s planned IPO valuation around June 12, with the Financial Times noting the price relies heavily on long-term projects such as Mars missions and pointing to a $4.937 billion net loss in 2025 as a cause for investor skepticism.
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi left for the G7 summit on June 13, creating a tight timetable in which domestic parliamentary scrutiny of the video allegations may overlap with her diplomatic engagements and shape political pressure at home and abroad.