Here are the profiles of members of new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet:
Internal affairs minister Murakami known for candid remarks
Seiichiro Murakami, tapped as the internal affairs and communications minister, is known for his candid remarks even against colleagues within the Liberal Democratic Party, as well as the fact that he is descended from a medieval pirate.
Murakami, 72, was punished by the LDP in 2022 after reportedly calling the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a “traitor” who he said had ruined Japan’s fiscal and financial systems and its diplomacy. In August, he also publicly urged Fumio Kishida, then prime minister, to step down due to his unpopularity.
First elected to the House of Representatives in 1986, Murakami is currently serving his 12th term. The veteran lawmaker from Ehime Prefecture, which faces an inland sea once controlled by pirates, enters the Cabinet for the first time since 2004 when he obtained the portfolio of administrative and regulatory reforms.
Justice Minister Makihara is lawyer with expertise in int’l disputes
Hideki Makihara, appointed justice minister in his first Cabinet post, is a lawyer with expertise in international disputes and corporate issues and has experience working at a law office in New York.
A Georgetown University Law Center graduate, Makihara trained at the World Trade Organization and later became a registered lawyer in New York. He then worked at Japan’s trade ministry, handling trade negotiations.
The 53-year-old fifth-term House of Representatives lawmaker previously served as senior vice minister for economy, trade and industry, as well as for health, labor and welfare. He enjoys sports, reading, and traveling.
New Foreign Minister Iwaya well-versed in security issues
New Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya is well-versed in security issues, having served as defense minister for nearly one year from October 2018 under the government of Shinzo Abe.
The 67-year-old, a ninth-term House of Representatives lawmaker from Oita Prefecture in southwestern Japan, enters the new Cabinet after playing a key role in supporting Shigeru Ishiba’s bid to become the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader, and therefore Japan’s prime minister. He has also been a senior vice foreign minister.
Iwaya, who is a graduate of Waseda University, enjoys playing the guitar and bicycle riding. He is known to have close connections with Japanese entrepreneur and SoftBank Group Corp. CEO Masayoshi Son, whom he said he first met when he was a high school student.
Kato gets finance portfolio with social security expertise
Katsunobu Kato, tapped as the finance minister, is known for his background and vast knowledge in economic and social security policies.
The 68-year-old former finance bureaucrat, who was close to the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has held several key posts in the past including chief Cabinet secretary, a job that made him the top government spokesman. As the health minister, he led Japan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While his “bureaucratic” work style has been praised, some say he is an uninspiring speaker. In the first round of voting for the recent Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, Kato came in last place out of nine candidates.
Education minister Abe, holds nursing Ph.D., taught 7 years at university
Toshiko Abe, who takes up her first Cabinet post as education minister, earned a Ph.D. in nursing in the United States and taught for seven years at Japanese universities before becoming a lawmaker in 2005.
The 65-year-old native of Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan was previously a senior vice minister of education. She has also served as a senior vice minister at the ministries of foreign affairs and agriculture.
The sixth-term House of Representatives member, who represents a proportional representation bloc in western Japan, completed a doctoral course in nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago in 1997 and was named vice president of the Japanese Nursing Association in 2003.
Health minister Fukuoka well-versed in social welfare policy
Takamaro Fukuoka, given his first Cabinet post as the minister of health, labor and welfare, is well-versed in social welfare policy.
The 51-year-old House of Councillors lawmaker has been instrumental in legislation aimed at building a society where people from different walks of life, including the elderly and people with disabilities, can play an active part.
Fukuoka has held key posts such as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s health, labor and welfare division and chairman of the LDP’s policy board in the upper house.
New farm minister Ozato committed to regional revival
Yasuhiro Ozato, the new agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister, is known for traveling the country to gain detailed knowledge during his political career and for his commitment to revitalizing Japan’s regional economies.
The son of a former Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, Ozato, 66, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2005 after working at a securities company where he learned “how the economy works.” He has assumed several government and party posts including senior vice farm minister.
Having spent his childhood in a remote rural area in Kagoshima Prefecture, Ozato says he “trained his mind and body” in his youth through kendo and an arduous newspaper delivery job. A person who knows him well says he is a “pacifist, for better or for worse.”
New industry minister Yoji Muto counts on business experience
Former senior vice foreign minister Yoji Muto, newly appointed economy, trade and industry minister, is expected to assist the Ishiba government in shaping economic and industrial policies, drawing on his business background.
The 68-year-old from Gifu Prefecture served as chairman and president of a building materials wholesaler and a sake brewing company, both family-founded entities, before being elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005.
The five-term lower house member is also well-versed in nuclear emergency preparedness, having served as chairman of the government’s local headquarters for nuclear emergency response.
Train enthusiast Saito retained as transport minister
Tetsuo Saito, retained as transport minister, is deputy leader of the Komeito party, the junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and a self-confessed train enthusiast.
Saito, a 10th-term lower house member representing a constituency in Hiroshima Prefecture, served as environment minister from 2008 to 2009. He has been minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism since October 2021.
The 72-year-old has a doctor of engineering degree and researched space development at major construction firm Shimizu Corp. before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1993.
Environment Minister Asao 1st elected as opposition lawmaker
Newly appointed Environment Minister Keiichiro Asao was first elected as an opposition lawmaker but joined the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in 2017 after serving as the head of the reform-minded Your Party for several months.
Asao, a 60-year-old former banker, praised “Abenomics,” the deflation-fighting program initiated by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which included drastic monetary easing, massive fiscal spending and a growth strategy.
A fluent English speaker, Asao received a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University. In March, he shared a picture of his toy poodle, who was then over 17 years old, equivalent to about 100 in human years.
Ex-SDF officer Nakatani returns as defense minister
Former Self-Defense Forces officer Gen Nakatani returns to his former post as defense chief, having previously led efforts to enact key security laws in 2015 that enabled Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense.
The 66-year-old, who pushed for the expansion of the SDF’s role overseas, became the first former SDF officer to serve as director general of the Defense Agency, the predecessor of the Defense Ministry, in 2001 under then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Nakatani, an alumnus of the National Defense Academy, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 and served as defense minister between 2014 and 2016. An avid rugby fan, he was an instructor of an elite ranger unit of the Ground Self-Defense Force before leaving the SDF in 1984.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi vows “benevolent” politics in LDP bid
Yoshimasa Hayashi, the current prime minister’s right-hand man who has held major government posts including foreign minister, is touting his vision of “benevolent” politics in his bid for the leadership of Japan’s ruling party.
It is the 63-year-old chief Cabinet secretary’s second run for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency, his first being in 2012. Hayashi’s supporters say his extensive experience in government puts him in a strong position in the race.
The Harvard-educated lawmaker was a member of the House of Councillors for 26 years before winning his current House of Representatives seat in 2021. He is known to enjoy playing musical instruments such as the piano and guitar.
New digital minister Taira an expert in Web3 and AI initiatives
Masaaki Taira, who was appointed new digital minister in his first Cabinet post, is well-versed in the field, currently serving as deputy director of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Headquarters for the Promotion of Digital Society, and the chair of project teams on Web3 and artificial intelligence.
A graduate of Waseda University, the 57-year-old Tokyo native was first elected to parliament in 2005. Now in his sixth term, the House of Representatives lawmaker is also the acting director of the LDP’s public relations department and chairs a special parliamentary committee for the investigation of nuclear power issues.
In November 2016, as public relations chairman of an intraparty group headed by now Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Taira released “Ishiba-kun,” the first official stickers modeled on a Japanese politician for the popular messaging app LINE.
Ito named reconstruction minister after working on nuclear waste
New reconstruction minister Tadahiko Ito, who joins the Cabinet for the first time, served as senior vice environment minister in the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
He spent much of the time working with local governments to establish disposal sites for radioactive waste generated by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
After working as a secretary for late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and an Aichi prefectural assembly member, Ito was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2005 and is now in his fifth term.
Ex-deputy chief Cabinet secretary Sakai becomes public safety chief
New chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Manabu Sakai, joining the Cabinet for the first time, served as deputy chief Cabinet secretary under former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is now the ruling party’s deputy president.
The Tokyo native, first elected to the House of Representatives in 2005, is now in his 5th term and also served as senior vice ministers for finance, and internal affairs and communications.
The 59-year-old, who graduated from the University of Tokyo, enjoys walking for exercise, cooking and vegetable gardening. He played baseball in his school days.
Ex-actress Mihara becomes minister responsible for child policy
Junko Mihara, the new minister in charge of child policy, is a former actress who moved into politics seeking to reform the health care system after suffering cancer.
Mihara, 60, has held posts such as senior vice health minister after being first elected to the House of Councillors in 2010 with the support of the then-opposition Liberal Democratic Party.
In 2019, the Tokyo native gained attention by saying “Shame on you” to the opposition during an upper house plenary session after they submitted a censure motion against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Some LDP members praised the remark, while the opposition criticized it as a verbal attack.
Economic revitalization minister Akazawa known as Ishiba’s close aide
New economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa is known as a close aide to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, with both representing constituencies in Tottori Prefecture in western Japan.
The 63-year-old former transport ministry bureaucrat has held posts such as senior vice minister at the Cabinet Office and at the Finance Ministry since entering parliament as a House of Representatives member in 2005.
The Cornell-educated lawmaker has devoted himself to promoting regional revitalization. His grandfather, who hailed from Tottori, was a former head of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the predecessor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Economic security minister Kiuchi, ex-diplomat fluent in German
Minoru Kiuchi, a former diplomat who secured his first Cabinet post as economic security minister, served as an official interpreter for former Emperor Akihito making use of his fluency in German.
The 59-year-old sixth-term House of Representatives lawmaker from Shizuoka Prefecture served as senior vice minister at the foreign and environment ministries. He first entered the lower house in 2003 but lost his seat in the 2005 election before regaining it four years later.
The University of Tokyo graduate’s hobbies are collecting old music records and playing football.
Regional revitalization minister Ito served as city mayor
Yoshitaka Ito, appointed as regional revitalization minister in his first Cabinet post, has an extensive background in local governance, having served as a local assembly member and city mayor in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island.
First elected to parliament in 2009, Ito, 75, has twice held the position of senior vice minister of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
The fifth-term House of Representatives lawmaker will also be handling affairs related to the Northern Territories, a group of Russia-controlled, Japan-claimed islands off Hokkaido.
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