Takaichi eyes Cabinet reshuffle in mid-to-late September
Such a move would be Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's first since taking office in October as she seeks to create an atmosphere conductive to winning another term as LDP president.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi intends to reshuffle her Cabinet and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's executive lineup in mid-to-late September, according to sources. This would mark the first such reshuffle since Takaichi assumed office last October. Her goal is to foster an environment conducive to her winning another term as LDP president in the 2027 leadership election.
The exact timing of the reshuffle will depend on her political calendar. The government intends to introduce a tax reform package, including a cut in the consumption tax for food, in mid-September. The Okinawa gubernatorial election, deemed crucial by the ruling bloc, is scheduled for September 13. Takaichi is also slated to attend a U.N.
General Assembly session in the United States late in September. "A personnel reshuffle is likely after (the adoption) of the tax system reform package," an LDP source remarked on Friday. In a potential Cabinet reshuffle, Takaichi is expected to retain Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, a key figure in her administration and a trusted ally.
Kihara is described as a conservative politician with a close relationship to Takaichi. "Kihara is irreplaceable," an aide to the prime minister stated. Takaichi plans to invite the Japan Innovation Party, the LDP's coalition partner, to join the Cabinet. A focal point in refreshing the LDP executive lineup will be the fate of Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki.
Speculation suggests Takaichi might promote Koichi Hagiuda, the current acting secretary-general, to Suzuki's position. Suzuki, a brother-in-law of LDP Vice President Taro Aso, leads the sole remaining faction in the party. Takaichi's treatment of Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Internal Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi, who all competed with her in last year's leadership race, will also be closely watched.
Hayashi may consider stepping down from the Cabinet to contest in the upcoming party leadership election. On Thursday, the LDP circulated questionnaires to Lower House party members, requesting their desired positions, with a deadline set for Tuesday.
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