Former Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa may become Japan's Foreign Minister.
According to sources cited by Kyodo News on September 12, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to appoint former Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa as Foreign Minister, aiming to increase the proportion of female leaders in a move seen as an attempt to garner support.
In the cabinet reshuffle expected to be announced on September 13, Prime Minister Kishida also plans to appoint Minoru Kihara, a special advisor to former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, as Minister of Defense, along with 10 other new faces.
The current Minister of Defense is Yasukazu Hamada, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs is Yoshimasa Hayashi.
To ensure the stability of the government, he decided to reappoint several key ministers, including Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, and Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi.
The number of female ministers is expected to reach a record five, including Ayuko Kato, a member of the third term in the House of Representatives, who is soon to be appointed Minister in charge of child policy. This number is equal to the number of female members in the cabinets of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2001 and the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014.
In addition, Prime Minister Kishida is expected to change the leadership positions of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which he heads, but will retain Toshimitsu Motegi as Secretary-General, the second-highest ranking position in the party.
Yuko Obuchi, the 49-year-old daughter of the late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, is expected to head the election campaign, seemingly aiming to refresh the image of the party leadership.
Prime Minister Kishida took office in October 2021. He hoped the cabinet reshuffle would help him attract more support, which had been dampened by public concerns about high inflation and issues with personal data leaks and registration errors in the identification card system.
Gaining support would be crucial if Kishida decides to dissolve the lower house for early elections. The four-year terms of the current lower house members expire in October 2025.
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