More women, disabled members make debut in Japanese parliament

Reiwa Shinsengumi party's disabled lawmaker Yasuhiko Funago, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is helped by security guards as he arrives at the parliament building in Tokyo, Japan, August 1, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's parliament opened a special session on Thursday with its most diverse upper house yet, including more women, two severely disabled members and the first openly gay male lawmaker, all of whom were elected last month.

Newly crowned Emperor Naruhito read from a scroll in a ceremony attended by members of both houses.