Japan's Kishida Cabinet Reshuffle Today and LDP Personnel Changes: "Faction Balance and Over Half Enter Cabinet for the First Time"

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will carry out a second cabinet reshuffle and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) executive personnel changes on the 10th. This follows the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the House of Councillors election. It is expected to be a large-scale reshuffle replacing more than half of the cabinet members, appointing LDP factional lawmakers across the board to balance the factions.

According to Yomiuri Shimbun and others, Prime Minister Kishida will first make LDP personnel appointments in the morning, then announce the cabinet reshuffle list in the afternoon, followed by a press conference to explain the reshuffle details. Japanese foreign media report that the reshuffle and LDP personnel list have been virtually finalized, publishing names and photos.

Reports indicate that Kishida plans to replace 14 out of 19 cabinet members in this reshuffle. Among them, nine will be newcomers to the cabinet. Experienced figures are expected to be appointed to key posts directly related to national security such as the Minister of Defense, the Minister in charge of Economic Security, and the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare who handles COVID-19 measures.

At the Defense Minister position, previously held by Nobuo Kishi, the younger brother of former Prime Minister Abe, Yasukazu Hamada, a member of the House of Representatives, is expected to be appointed. Katsunobu Kato, former Chief Cabinet Secretary, is likely to be appointed as Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Sanae Takaichi, an Abe loyalist and LDP Policy Research Council Chairperson, is expected to take the post of Minister in charge of Economic Security.

Taro Kono, former Minister for Administrative Reform who lost in last year's LDP presidential election, is expected to be appointed as Minister for Digital Affairs. Keiko Nagaoka, former Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, is set to be appointed as Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Minoru Terada, a prime ministerial aide, is expected to become Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.

In the current cabinet, Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Yoshimasa Hayashi, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Shunichi Suzuki, Minister of Finance; Tetsuo Saito, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; and Daishiro Yamagiwa, Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization, are expected to remain in their posts.

Within the LDP, Koichi Hagiuda, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, is expected to become the Policy Research Council Chairperson. Asahi Shimbun pointed out this appointment as notable, stating, "As a close aide to former Prime Minister Abe and a member of the largest faction, the Abe faction, he has influence. He will be responsible for adjusting policies expected to face difficulties such as strengthening defense capabilities, aiming to avoid party destabilization."

Party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi and Deputy President Taro Aso are expected to remain, with Toshiaki appointed as General Council Chairperson and Hiroshi Moriyama, former Diet Affairs Committee Chairperson, as Election Strategy Committee Chairperson.

Prime Minister Kishida's personnel appointments are evaluated as a 'faction balance type,' appropriately placing key positions among LDP factions. Four members each are expected from the largest Abe faction and the third-largest Aso faction, and three each from the second-largest Motegi faction and the fourth-largest Kishida faction.

The reshuffle, initially expected in early next month, was advanced due to a significant drop in cabinet approval ratings following former Prime Minister Abe's death, necessitating ruling party unity. Although there were some internal complaints within the LDP, Kishida reiterated the need for early appointments, stating the day before, "To overcome the greatest postwar crisis, unity between the government and ruling party is more important than ever."

Especially as approval ratings wavered due to the Abe death incident and allegations of collusion with the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church), local media reported that Kishida replaced seven figures related to this in the reshuffle and demanded those appointed to the cabinet sever ties with the group. Asahi analyzed that the background for moving Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hagiuda to Policy Research Council Chairperson was also conscious of his connection with the former Unification Church, such as attending an event hosted by the group in 2014.