Takaichi Cabinet Embarks On

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi formed her Cabinet right after she was elected in both Houses of the Diet on October 21st. Although she was expected to build a gender conscious cabinet as the first woman premier, Takaichi rather focused on integration of her Liberal Democratic Party with consideration of balance of factions. She also distributed the seats of ministers to her colleagues who contributed her victory in LDP presidential election earlier this month. 

Five candidates, including Takaichi, ran for LDP presidential election. Among them, Takaichi appointed Takayuki Kobayashi to the policy chief of the LDP. Rest of them, Toshimitsu Motegi, Yoshimasa Hayashi and Shinjiro Koizumi joined Takaichi Cabinet as important ministers. The choices of them indicate Takaichi’s intention to reunite her party, which once divided into five campaigns in the presidential election.

 

Her choice of Motegi for Minister for Foreign Affairs reflects her expectation to his ability to deal with diplomatic negotiation with the United States. Motegi is known as a “tough negotiator” in trade deal with President Donald Trump in his first administration. Hayashi is reported to have requested a position which has connection with local communities. It is likely that Takaichi hoped Koizumi, who was the contender of her in LDP presidential election, to be close to her with an important post, not give him time to prepare for next presidency.

 

Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minoru Kihara, and Minister for Economic Security, Kimi Onoda, represents hawkish character of the cabinet. Kihara once told that supporting LDP would be supporting Japan Self-defense Force, as the Minister of Defense. Onoda is well known as a hardliner against foreign people in Japan. Takaichi attached her a title of minister on coexistence with the foreigners.

 

Takaichi did not forget rewarding her allies in LDP presidential election. Minister of Finance, Satsuki Katayama, and Minister on Children Policy, Hitoshi Kikawada, was in Takaichi’s campaign team.

 

She also considered balance between factions. She invited to her cabinet six members of former Motegi faction, three from former Kishida faction and two from former Moriyama faction. She refrained from appointing the lawmakers who had been involved in the kickback fund scandal. Her pick of Ryosei Akazawa, who is a close ally of Shigeru Ishiba, to Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry means her preference of expert in issues. Akazawa was the chief in tariff negotiation with the U.S.

 

Although she offered some seats to Japan Innovation Party (JIP), JIP turned it down. It is unclear whether JIP’s cooperation outside the cabinet will work for Takaichi to keep broad choices in policies without restriction of JIP or to put pressure for implementing coalition agreement with possibility of JIP’s departure of the coalition.

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