A House of Representatives committee has passed a bill that will tighten oversight of the use of land deemed important from a security viewpoint, bringing the nation a step closer to regulating opaque acquisitions of land with foreign capital.
During a session of the chamber's Committee on Cabinet on Friday, the bill garnered a majority of support from the Liberal Democratic Party and its ruling coalition partner Komeito as well as Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People.
However, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) opposed the bill on the grounds that it could lead to unfair restrictions on private rights, among other reasons.
"With the influx of foreign capital, good and bad intentions have become mixed up. The aim is to conduct investigations to alleviate such concerns," National Public Safety Commission Chairperson Hachiro Okonogi said at the session.
The bill calls for such sites as Self-Defense Force facilities and nuclear power plants to be labeled as "important facilities," and allows the government to designate areas about one kilometer around the sites and remote islands on national borders as "watch zones."
The bill will enable the government to investigate the owners and the use of land and buildings in such zones and regulate their use if necessary.
Areas around particularly important facilities, such as the SDF headquarters, would be labeled as "special watch zones," and prior notifications concerning sales and other deals for land lots of a certain size would be required.
To prevent threats to such facilities through radio interference or other means, the government intends to take preemptive action against opaque acquisitions by conducting probes and implementing regulations, according to government sources.
The government has said that the current legal framework does not allow it to fully grasp the actual use of land around sensitive sites.
However, some opposition parties have expressed criticism, with a senior CDPJ official saying, "If ordinary people who are not involved in national security become subject to such investigations and regulations, that would constitute unfair restrictions on private rights."
During Diet deliberations, the government has sought understanding, stating that it does not envisage collecting personal information on such matters as ideological beliefs that are not related to land use.
The bill also states that the government can issue advisories or orders to halt "obstructive acts" that interfere with the functions of important facilities, with penalties for those who fail to comply.
The bill is expected to be approved at a plenary session of the lower house on June 1, and then be sent to the House of Councillors.
However, as the CDPJ and the JCP have intensified opposition, the deliberations are expected to drag on in the current Diet session, which is slated to end on June 16.
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