The Japan Times reports:
[1063 plaintiffs, including lawmakers,] filed a lawsuit against the government on [May 15], seeking to halt Japan's involvement in 12-country talks on a Pacific Rim free trade agreement, which they called "unconstitutional".
[...]The lawsuit is led by Masahiko Yamada, 73, a lawyer who served as agriculture minister in 2010 as part of the Democratic Party of Japan government.
"The TPP could violate the Japanese right to get stable food supply, or the right to live, guaranteed by Article 25 of the nation's Constitution," Yamada, who abandoned his party in 2012 over then-Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's push to join the TPP talks, said [May 14] before the court filing.
The envisaged pact would benefit big corporations but would jeopardize the country's food safety and medical systems, and [would] destroy the domestic farm sector, according to the plaintiffs.
The litigation is another twist in efforts by Japan and the U.S., the top economies involved in the TPP, to expedite talks on the agreement that would cover about 40 percent of the world's commerce.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 18 2015, @10:14PM
I made some adjustments to the original text to make the summary shorter and more clear.
Meanwhile, I missed the elephant in the room.
I will endeavor to improve my technique.
-- gewg_
(Score: 2) by Ryuugami on Tuesday May 19 2015, @12:11AM
Even though it wouldn't hurt to spell it out once, the summary does mention the "talks on a Pacific Rim free trade agreement" in the first quoted paragraph, so it should be clear enough.
If a shit storm's on the horizon, it's good to know far enough ahead you can at least bring along an umbrella. - D.Weber