However, sanctions for corporate violators are weak. Women hold only 23 of the 500 lower house seats. In 1998, police began a crackdown on gangsters who traffic Filipino and Thai women to Japan with the promise of regular jobs and then force them to work as prostitutes. Authorities stripped the Aum Shinrikyo cult of its status as a religious group following its 1995 Tokyo subway terrorist attack. According to the Kyodo news service, at least 35 cities have rejected Aum members residency applications or otherwise tried to drive out members.
Trade unions are independent and active.
Economists attributed the economy s growth during the first two quarters of 1999 mainly to government spending rather than consumer demand. The economy contracted one percent in the third quarter. Unemployment hit a record high of 4.9 percent in July, but fell to 4.5 percent by November.