Abe’s Reshuffled Cabinet Fully Starts Working

October 3, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's reshuffled cabinet fully started working on Wednesday, a day after the revamping.

Abe is aiming to deliver promises he made during his campaigning for last month's leadership election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, such as taking measures to minimize damage from future disasters, overcoming persistent deflation in Japan, reforming the nation's social security system and resolving the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals.

First-time ministers in the cabinet arrived at their offices in the morning to start their work.

Among them, Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita, the only minister from an LDP faction led by Shigeru Ishiba, former secretary-general of the party, took over the job from his predecessor, Yoko Kamikawa.

Ishiba lost to Abe in the Sept. 20 party leadership poll, which was a one-on-one battle between them.

Yamashita told Kamikawa that he will step up preparations toward the establishment of a planned new government agency to manage immigration and support foreign residents.

In a speech before Justice Ministry employees later, Yamashita said that he will "work hard to realize justice."

"We're in a very tough situation," Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Masahiko Shibayama told staff of his ministry, apparently referring to recently revealed corruption scandals involving senior ministry officials. "I'll stand at the forefront of the ministry to have our staff join forces," he said.

At a press conference, regional revitalization minister Satsuki Katayama, the only female minister in the new Abe cabinet, said, "I hope to visit regional areas to play my role as early as possible."

Environment Minister Yoshiaki Harada, Yoshitaka Sakurada, minister for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, and other first-timers were briefed on matters under their jurisdiction by staff at their respective offices.

At the prime minister's office, Abe worked on the selection of candidates for state ministers and parliamentary vice ministers, ahead of their appointments on Thursday.

Stressing that members of the new Abe cabinet are united, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who was retained, told a press conference, "We'll sincerely tackle an array of domestic and diplomatic issues one by one to produce results." Jiji Press