A time limit was imposed in Japan’s lower house of Parliament on Friday to prevent the opposition Socialists from using the “ox-walk” tactic to delay passage of a bill that would allow Japanese troops to be sent overseas for the first time since World War II.

The time-limit motion, introduced by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was passed when Vice Speaker Kiichi Murayama, using his discretionary powers, ordered ballot boxes closed five hours into the vote.

Only about 30 Socialists had cast their votes by then, each taking about 30 minutes to walk to the ballot box in excruciatingly slow motion--the so-called ox-walk delaying tactic.

About 100 of the Socialists, who say the troops bill violates the “peace” constitution, had yet to vote.


Opposition members gathered around the vice speaker’s chair to protest his ruling but soon dispersed.

One ox-walk voting session in the upper house earlier this week took a record 13 hours to complete. Three members fell ill and a special rule had to be introduced to let legislators go to the toilet.

The time-limit motion passed Friday allows speakers 15 minutes to introduce a motion and 10 minutes for each subsequent question or answer.