On April 5 Yoshiro Mori, the newly appointed president of the Liberal Democratic Party, was elected as prime minister in a House of Representatives vote. He replaced Keizo Obuchi, who has been hospitalized in critical condition since suffering a stroke on April 2.

At a press conference immediately following his appointment, Prime Minister Mori announced he would strive for continuity and stability, retaining all members of the Obuchi cabinet in their present posts and carrying forth Obuchi's economic and other policies.

Mori's immediate tasks include formulating crisis measures in response to the eruption of Mount Usu in Hokkaido, preparing for the July Kyushu-Okinawa Summit of the Group of Eight nations, and implementing the economic revitalization and structural reform policies outlined in a recent agreement between the LDP and its coalition partners, the New Komeito and Conservative Party.

The new prime minister has filled three key posts within the LDP: secretary general, chairman of the Policy Research Council, and chairman of the General Council. He has served in previous cabinets as minister of education, international trade and industry, and construction, and he is well-respected for his keen sense of political balance and strong ability to build consensus.

A rugby player in his college days, Mori is fond of saying: "Life is like a rugby ball--you never know which way it might bounce next." Japan is watching to see how well this willingness to take on the unexpected will serve him in his new post.

The key members of the Mori cabinet are as follows (the names of the ministers are followed by their age, house membership, and major posts held to date):

Prime Minister
Yoshiro Mori (62)
Ten-term member of the House of Representatives; Construction Minister; International Trade and Industry Minister; Education Minister; LDP Secretary General.

Justice Minister
Hideo Usui (61)
Six-term member of the House of Representatives; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Economic Planning; Director General, Defense Agency (State Minister); Deputy Chairman, LDP General Council.

Foreign Minister
Yohei Kono (63)
Eleven-term member of the House of Representatives; Chief Cabinet Secretary (State Minister); Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

Finance Minister
Kiichi Miyazawa (80)
Two-term member of the House of Councillors and eleven-term member of the House of Representatives; International Trade and Industry Minister; Foreign Minister; Chief Cabinet Secretary (State Minister); Finance Minister; Prime Minister.

Education Minister and Director General, Science and Technology Agency (State Minister)
Hirofumi Nakasone (54)
Three-term member of the House of Councillors; Deputy Director, LDP Commerce and Industry Division; Chairman, LDP Policy Board in the House of Councillors.

Health and Welfare Minister
Yuya Niwa (55)
Seven-term member of the House of Representatives; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Health and Welfare; Health and Welfare Minister; Chairman, LDP Policy Research Council.

Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Minister
Tokuichiro Tamazawa (62)
Seven-term member of the House of Representatives; Director General, Defense Agency (State Minister); Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.

International Trade and Industry Minister
Takashi Fukaya (64)
Eight-term member of the House of Representatives; Home Affairs Minister; Posts and Telecommunications Minister; Chairman, LDP General Council.

Transport Minister and Director General, Hokkaido Development Agency (State Minister)
Toshihiro Nikai (61)
Five-term member of the House of Representatives; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Transport; Director, LP Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Committee; Chairman, LP Diet Affairs Committee.

Posts and Telecommunications Minister
Eita Yashiro (62)
Three-term member of the House of Councillors and one-term member of the House of Representatives; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Judicial Affairs; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Science and Technology.

Labor Minister
Takamori Makino (74)
Five-term member of the House of Representatives; Director, LDP Foreign Affairs Division; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Construction Minister and Director General, National Land Agency (State Minister)
Masaaki Nakayama (67)
Ten-term member of the House of Representatives; Director General, Management and Coordination Agency (State Minister); Posts and Telecommunications Minister; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Budget.

Home Affairs Minister and Chairman, National Public Safety Commission (State Minister)
Kosuke Hori (65)
Seven-term member of the House of Representatives; Chairman, LDP Diet Affairs Committee; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries; Education Minister.

Chief Cabinet Secretary and Director General, Okinawa Development Agency (State Minister)
Mikio Aoki (65)
Three-term member of the House of Councillors; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Finance; Secretary General for the LDP in the House of Councillors.

Director General, Management and Coordination Agency (State Minister)
Kunihiro Tsuzuki (69)
Two-term member of the House of Councillors; Chairman, House of Councillors Committee on Judicial Affairs; Chairman, House of Councillors Committee on Oversight of Administration.

Director General, Defense Agency (State Minister)
Tsutomu Kawara (63)
Nine-term member of the House of Representatives; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Director General, Defense Agency (State Minister); Construction Minister.

Director General, Economic Planning Agency (State Minister)
Taichi Sakaiya (64)
Author; Economic critic; Former bureaucrat, Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Director General, Environment Agency (State Minister)
Kayoko Shimizu (64)
Two-term member of the House of Councillors; Chairman, House of Councillors Committee on Education; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Labor.

Chairman, Financial Reconstruction Commission (State Minister)
Sadakazu Tanigaki (55)
Six-term member of the House of Representatives; Director General, Science and Technology Agency (State Minister); Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Finance.

Copyright (c) 2000 Japan Information Network. Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.

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