Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe replaces defence minister in cabinet shuffle
In the LDP presidential election on September 20, Abe beat his sole rival, former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba, by a comfortable margin
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday replaced his defence minister in a cabinet reshuffle that otherwise left key government positions largely unchanged.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who was reappointed, announced the lineup for the new cabinet, with key ministers including finance minister Taro Aso and foreign minister Taro Kono staying on. But Itsunori Onodera, defence minister since August 2017, was replaced by Takeshi Iwaya, 61, a veteran politician who has had short stints in roles including vice minister for defence and foreign affairs.
The reshuffle follows Abe’s reelection as leader of his Liberal Democratic Party last month, which puts him on track to become Japan’s longest-serving prime minister.
“It was no surprise that Abe focused on stability rather than a challenge,” said Tomoaki Iwai, professor of Japanese politics at Nihon University.
“Abe prioritised imminent tasks such as a fight against deflation so that he can consolidate his power before tackling a revision of the constitution.”
Abe prioritised imminent tasks such as a fight against deflation so that he can consolidate his power
After winning a historic third term as LDP head last month, Abe vowed to press ahead with plans to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution, which remains a controversial proposition.