Japan PM Takaichi reshuffles Cabinet, retains key ministers

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reshuffled her Cabinet on Thursday for the first time since taking office last year, retaining several key ministers while bringing in a lawmaker from the junior coalition partner ahead of an extraordinary parliamentary session set to open in October.

Coalition partner enters Cabinet

Hiroshi Nakatsuka, a former secretary general of the Japan Innovation Party, assumed the post of minister in charge of regulatory reform — becoming the first minister from the Liberal Democratic Party's junior coalition partner to serve in the government. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi all retained their portfolios in the shake-up. Internal Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi was removed from the lineup, according to Kyodo News Agency.

Political backdrop

The reshuffle marks the first change to the ministerial lineup since Takaichi took office last year as Japan's first female prime minister. Support for her Cabinet has remained at around 50% in recent months after starting at roughly 70% upon her inauguration, according to local media reports. The Cabinet held a meeting earlier on Thursday to collect resignation letters from outgoing ministers ahead of the official announcement.

Takaichi is expected to appoint new senior vice ministers and parliamentary vice ministers at government ministries on Friday. The reshuffle comes before an extraordinary parliamentary session scheduled to begin in October.