Tokyo
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a cabinet reshuffle and changes to the executive lineup of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as his government faces declining public support.
In this second cabinet reshuffle since last year, Kishida made changes to 13 out of 19 ministerial positions, with 11 newcomers entering the cabinet, according to the announcement made on Wednesday.
Key figures like Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura retained their posts, aiming to maintain stability in crucial positions. Notably, the number of female cabinet members reached a record five, up from two, with Yoko Kamikawa, a veteran female lawmaker, appointed as foreign minister, replacing Yoshimasa Hayashi. This move is seen as Kishida's commitment to gender equality reforms, possibly aimed at boosting the cabinet's approval ratings.
Among the new appointees, Minoru Kihara became the defense minister, Keizo Takemi took the position of health minister, and Shinako Tsuchiya became the reconstruction minister. Ichiro Miyashita replaced Tetsuro Nomura as the minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. This cabinet reshuffle comes as support for Kishida's government continues to decline, partly due to public frustration over the My Number national identification card system and rising prices without accompanying wage increases.
Kishida is also using this opportunity to consolidate his political support within the LDP as he prepares for the party's presidential election scheduled for September next year. Earlier on the same day, Kishida made changes to the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as its head.