Tokyo moved one step closer to military normalization on July 16 when Japan’s ruling coalition pushed major security legislation through the House of Representatives, sending the bills to the upper house of the parliament. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which holds a majority in both chambers of the parliament, along with its coalition partner Komeito, saw the contentious amendments through a special committee on security legislation on July 15. The following day, it overcame protests from opposition lawmakers, who walked off the floor ahead of the full vote. If no vote is taken in the upper house after 60 days, the legislation will return to the lower house and likely be passed with the ruling coalition's two-thirds majority. If successful, the legislation would broaden the scope of overseas operations by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, marking a dramatic shift in Japanese security policy.