With Monday＊s passage of the record-high budget for fiscal 2017, the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is headed for the latter half of the year＊s ordinary Diet session that, in all likelihood, promises a further war of words with opposition parties over the ongoing scandal involving a shady land deal.

The Upper House plenary session approved the ?97.45 trillion budget that highlighted an increase in defense spending 〞 a record ?5.13 trillion 〞 reflecting Abe＊s beefed-up effort to counter China＊s maritime assertiveness and North Korea＊s missile launches. Roughly a third of the total expenditure, or ?32.47 trillion, is earmarked for social security costs, including pensions and medical expenses.

The enactment of the budget will bring to a halt deliberation at budget committees 〞 venues used by opposition forces to grill Abe and nationalist Osaka school operator Yasunori Kagoike over a heavily discounted land deal that has raised allegations of influence-peddling.