Shinzo Abe’s cabinet reshuffle marks the start of ‘open race’ to pick Japan’s next prime minister

Toshimitsu Motegi was named as the new foreign minister, replacing Taro Kono, who moves to the defence portfolio

Shinjiro Koizumi, the 38-year-old son of much-loved former PM Junichiro Koizumi, was appointed environment minister

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo: AP

Published: 12:45pm, 11 Sep 2019Updated: 10:57pm, 11 Sep 2019

Japan’s Shinzo Abe on Wednesday appointed new foreign and defence ministers and promoted a popular rising political star, in a cabinet reshuffle that fuelled speculation over the prime minister’s successor.

The spectacular appointment as environment minister of the telegenic Shinjiro Koizumi, the 38-year-old son of much-loved former PM Junichiro Koizumi, set tongues wagging in Tokyo political classes as the Abe era draws to a close.

“Abe intends to start an open race to pick the next prime minister or even the one after that,” said SMBC Nikko Securities chief market economist Yoshimasa Maruyama.

A darling of the Japanese media, Shinjiro Koizumi received blanket coverage for his recent marriage to television broadcaster Christel Takigawa, which was announced at the prime minister’s office.

He is the third-youngest minister appointed to the cabinet in Japan since the end of World War Two, in a country when seniority is prized in politics and many other walks of life.

Despite intense media spotlight, he has been coy on expressing his view on the issues of the day and there will be close scrutiny over his policies on nuclear power, particularly on whether he will break with his father’s anti-nuclear stance.

Japan’s new Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. Photo: Reuters