The Upper House of Japan's Diet is planning to demand that one of its members issue an apology in the chamber for failing to attend a single session.

GaaSyy, whose real name is Higashitani Yoshikazu, is a YouTuber who won a seat in last year's Upper House elections.

He belongs to the NHK Party, which wants reforms to be implemented at the public broadcaster.

The Upper House's disciplinary committee has been mulling over an appropriate punishment to give the absentee lawmaker, who claims to be in the United Arab Emirates.

On Tuesday, the committee unanimously agreed to demand an apology in the chamber. That is the third most serious of the four types of punishments handed down to lawmakers.

The decision will likely be finalized by an Upper House plenary session vote on Wednesday.

If GaaSyy does not comply with the demand for an apology, the committee will consider the next form of punishment, which many factions believe will be expulsion from the Diet. That is the most severe type of discipline.