Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kept key ministers in their posts in a cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, including finance, trade and foreign affairs, while appointing just one woman to the new lineup. Abe, who has made female empowerment a high profile policy, tapped Satsuki Katayama, a conservative lawmaker and former…
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kept key ministers in their posts in a cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, including finance, trade and foreign affairs, while appointing just one woman to the new lineup.
Abe, who has made female empowerment a high profile policy, tapped Satsuki Katayama, a conservative lawmaker and former finance official, as minister of regional revitalization and gender equality, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in announcing the cabinet.
Abe, who returned to office in December 2012 after a troubled 2006-2007 term as prime minister, was re-elected leader of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) last month, putting him on track to become Japan’s longest-serving prime minister.
Abe’s reshuffle appeared to focus on stability as he prepares to push ahead with his controversial attempt to revise the postwar, pacifist constitution, political experts said.
His allies Suga and Finance Minister Taro Aso were reappointed.
Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko, Foreign Minister Taro Kono, and Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who handled difficult trade talks with Washington, also kept their posts.
