No Freshness in Reshuffled Cabinet

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his Cabinet on Thursday. Abe included some politicians in the Cabinet, who had been negative on his policy. He needed to do that to show integration of Liberal Democratic Party under his leadership. Choices of experienced Ministers caused an image of lacking freshness. Unilateral ruling of Abe has obviously been declined.

The first thing Abe decided in the reshuffle was to remain Taro Aso as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Yoshihide Suga as Chief Cabinet Secretary. Those two Ministers have been working for Abe as the core of the Cabinet. The choice showed a fact that Abe Cabinet could not stand without Aso and Suga, showing a limit to renew the member.

Abe wanted another Minister to stay. It was Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fumio Kishida, who had been at the post since the starting of the Second Abe Cabinet in December 2012. While he had been one of the faithful staffs of Abe, Kishida rejected to continue his job this time. He wanted to accumulate his carrier as a board member of LDP. Abe had to appoint Kishida to Chairman of LDP Policy Research Council.

It took time for finding the replacement of Kishida. Abe did not seem to have any alternative choice for that important post. It was late at Wednesday night when Abe called Taro Kono for Minister for Foreign Affaris. Kono is known as a firm protester against nuclear policy of Japanese government. People may focus on how Kono sign a decision of the Cabinet on new Energy Basic Plan, which will be delivered next year.

Former Speaker of House of Representatives, Bunmei Ibuki, rejected Abe’s offer for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Although Ibuki was that Minister in first Abe Cabinet, he did not accept it this time with a reason that one of the tops of trilateral power of the state should not be a Minister under Prime Minister. For Ibuki, the offer was too light to accept. Receiving offer of the post as the second choice after Ibuki’s rejection, Yoshimasa Hayashi thought “Why me?”

Abe included Seiko Noda in the Cabinet as Minister for Internal Affairs. Noda has been known as a firm critic against Abe administration. “While she sometimes tells me painful truths, she had the perspectives of ordinary people,” told Abe about the choice. Noda once experienced Minister of Postal Service, a former organization before Ministry for Internal Affairs was integrated. It is possible that Abe wanted to rebuild grip on bureaucracy, after realizing backlash from bureaucrats in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Kake Gakuen scandal.