Japanese Prime Minister Reshuffles Cabinet

Japanese Prime Minister Reshuffles Cabinet

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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori reshuffled his cabinet Tuesday, December 5, in preparation for a sweeping reorganization of Japanese government ministries and agencies that will take effect in January.

Mori gave cabinet posts to ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweights including former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto.

The new ministers were sworn in Tuesday night at a ceremony at the Imperial Palace.

"I am convinced that this is the best lineup to deal with various issues facing the nation," Mori told a press conference.

"I want to make this cabinet a cabinet of action and responsibility," he said.

Hashimoto, who heads the largest faction within the LDP, was appointed minister in charge of administrative reforms and head of the Okinawa Development Agency.

The reshuffle reduced the number of ministers by one to 17 in line with the administrative shakeup, which will cut the number of government entities to 13 from 23.

Mori retained key ministers in the new cabinet, including Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa and Foreign Minister Yohei Kono.

Mori also gave one post each to the LDP's coalition partners, the New Komeito party and the New Conservative Party (NCP).

NCP leader Chikage Ogi retained her post as construction minister and head of the National Land Agency while also serving as transport minister and head of the Hokkaido Development Agency. The four entities will merge in the reorganization in January.

Chikara Sakaguchi, vice representative of the New Komeito party, was appointed head of the Health and Welfare Ministry and the Labor Ministry, which will also merge.

The head of the Economic Planning Agency (EPA) will be former Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga, while Hakuo Yanagisawa, who served as head of the Financial Reconstruction Commission in the cabinet of Mori's predecessor Keizo Obuchi, is leading the commission again.

Former Education Minister Nobutaka Machimura became head of the Education Ministry and the Science and Technology Agency, which will also be integrated in January.

Environment Agency head Yoriko Kawaguchi and International Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma retained their respective posts, while former Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura was named as justice minister.

Toranosuke Katayama, an LDP House of Councilors member, became head of the Home Affairs Ministry, the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry and the Management and Coordination Agency, which will also amalgamate.

The post of agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister was taken up by Yoshio Yatsu, while the defense portfolio went to Toshitsugu Saito.

Former Labor Minister Bunmei Ibuki became head of the National Public Safety Commission, and Takashi Sasagawa was appointed minister in charge of the Council for Science and Technology Policy, an entity to be established under the new Cabinet Office when the organizational shakeup takes effect in January.

Mori, plagued by dismal public support ratings, was keen to strengthen his grip on power through the reshuffle, the second time since he took office in April.

The cabinet reshuffle also came after Mori survived his biggest trial yet when senior members in the LDP successfully quashed a rebellion by Mori's rivals in the party, who threatened to support a no-confidence motion submitted by four major opposition parties against Mori's cabinet in November.