Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi conducted her first cabinet reshuffle, retaining many key ministers to maintain the core structure of her administration.
According to Japanese media reports on September 17, the Takaichi government held an extraordinary cabinet meeting in the morning, accepting resignations from ministers before summoning newly appointed or retained ministers to the Prime Minister's residence. This marks the first cabinet reshuffle since Takaichi took office in October of last year.
Key ministers such as Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa were all retained. Additionally, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kenichiro Ueno, Minister of Economic and Fiscal Policy Minoru Kiuchi, and Minister for Economic Security Kim Onoda were reappointed.
In contrast, the future of Yoshimasa Hayashi, the former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, drew attention as he was excluded from the cabinet. Hayashi competed against Takaichi in the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election last October. Speculation within the LDP suggests that Hayashi may be preparing for the party's presidential election scheduled for next fall.
Hisayuki Fujii was appointed as the new Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, marking his first cabinet position. Yoshihiro Seki was appointed as Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Kazuo Yana as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tatsunori Ibayashi as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and Hiroyoshi Sasagawa as Minister of the Environment.
Notably, Seki and Yana are former members of the Abe faction and have been linked to a political funding scandal that emerged in 2023, where they reportedly failed to disclose certain amounts in political funding reports. This is the first instance of lawmakers with undisclosed amounts being appointed to the cabinet following the political funding issue.
During a press conference that evening, Takaichi addressed the appointments, stating, "Just because they have gone through an election does not mean that past issues disappear," while emphasizing the importance of having ministers with necessary policy capabilities as part of the cabinet. She urged the ministers to maintain a proper mindset and fulfill their significant public duties. Takaichi also noted that the involved lawmakers had explained the related matters during an ongoing prosecution investigation and had subsequently faced the judgment of the public through elections.
Takashi Yamashita, who previously held the same position, was reappointed as Minister of Justice. Toshiiharu Furukawa, a member of the House of Councillors, was appointed to the Digital Agency. This cabinet reshuffle also marks the first appointment of a member from the Japan Innovation Party, which is part of the coalition government, raising questions about its potential impact on future governance between the coalition parties.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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