On October 5 Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi formally announced his new cabinet, including members from the New Komeito and the Liberal Party, both partners in the ruling coalition headed by Obuchi's Liberal Democratic Party. The new cabinet plans to begin work immediately on an economic revitalization package, including the drafting of a second supplementary budget for fiscal 1999, in line with Japan's commitment at the recent Group of Seven meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors to continue implementing stimulus measures.

The new cabinet includes two members hailing from the LDP's coalition partners. The Liberal Party is fielding Toshihiro Nikai, who will serve as transport minister and director general of the Hokkaido Development Agency. Kunihiro Tsuzuki from the New Komeito, meanwhile, will be director general of the Management and Coordination Agency.

Obuchi has opted for some continuity in line with the new cabinet's focus on economic matters. Kiichi Miyazawa remains in the cabinet at the post of finance minister, as does Taichi Sakaiya--again the sole nonpolitician in the group--as head of the Economic Planning Agency. Kayoko Shimizu, the lone woman in the new cabinet, will head the Environment Agency.

Yohei Kono will be minister for foreign affairs, a position he has held previously; to him will fall the important task of chairing the G-8 summit to be held in Kyushu and Okinawa next July. He can expect assistance from two newly appointed parliamentary vice ministers, Shozo Azuma and Ichita Yamamoto.

After his re-election on September 21 as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, Prime Minister Obuchi commenced negotiations to finalize the three-way coalition and began the process of selecting members of his new cabinet. The new grouping was finalized after the three parties reached a policy accord on October 4 including a reduction of the number of seats in the House of Representatives.

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

Prime Minister
Keizo Obuchi (62)
Twelve-term member of the House of Representatives; Chief Cabinet Secretary (State Minister); Foreign Minister; LDP President. (Click here for Episodes in the Life of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.)

Justice Minister
Hideo Usui (60)
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 (62)
Eleven-term member of the House of Representatives; Chief Cabinet Secretary (State Minister); Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

Finance Minister
Kiichi Miyazawa (79, reappointed)
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 (53)
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 (61)
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 (60)
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 (73)
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 (62)
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, reappointed)
Author; Economic critic; Former bureaucrat, Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Director General, Environment Agency (State Minister)
Kayoko Shimizu (63)
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)
Michio Ochi (70)
Nine-term member of the House of Representatives; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Director General, Defense Agency (State Minister); Construction Minister.

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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