Defense Minister is Abe's younger brother... Suga's new cabinet retains Abe's personnel appointments as is

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] As Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's new cabinet is set to be launched on the 16th, succeeding Shinzo Abe, it is widely expected that most of the members of the Suga cabinet will be filled with key figures from the Abe administration.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to media reports from Kyodo News and Sankei on the 15th, Prime Minister-designate Suga plans to appoint Kato Katsunobu, the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, as the new Chief Cabinet Secretary. Minister Kato served as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for 2 years and 10 months during Abe's second cabinet, working closely with then Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga.

For the successor to Defense Minister Kono Taro, former Foreign Minister and Shinzo Abe’s younger brother, Kishi Nobuo, is expected to be appointed, while Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Hagiuda Koichi is likely to be retained. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Aso Taro, Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Kajiyama Hiroshi, all key officials from the Abe administration, are also expected to remain in their posts.

Prime Minister-designate Suga retained Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Nikai Toshihiro in the party executive reshuffle conducted on the same day. Secretary-General Nikai is the longest-serving secretary-general in Japanese history. The secretary-general is the second most powerful position within the party, responsible for party personnel and election nominations. Nikai emerged as a "kingmaker" in this leadership election.

Since most appointments are either key figures from the previous administration or close aides of Prime Minister Abe, this clearly shows the intention to continue the policies of the Abe administration. The Prime Minister-designate will be officially nominated at the plenary session of both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors on the afternoon of the 16th, immediately after the Abe cabinet’s collective resignation, and will promptly begin forming the new cabinet.