Japan’s Abe keeps allies in key posts in cabinet shake-up

However, despite her appointment, the number of women in Abe’s cabinet fell from five to three, signaling a setback in Abe’s attempt to include more women in his ministerial team.

In anticipation of the fallout from the agricultural lobbies, Abe told a press conference Tuesday that “the nation has achieved the best possible outcome in line with our national interest”, but was also quick to say he would put together a task force involving all of his cabinet members, specifically to deal with the anticipated backlash from the farm lobbies.

Katsunobu Kato was promoted to a new post in a cabinet reshuffle this week as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe moved to showcase his newly-minted slogan, “Society in Which All 100 Million People Can be Active”.

Nine ministers were replaced in the reshuffle Wednesday, while key posts, including the foreign, defence and finance ministers, were unchanged. His defensiveness in this regard may point toward the possibility that he has lost a proactive edge in terms of implementing new policies, since if an administration is buttressed exclusively by a robust economy, its very foundation may very well become compromised in the event that it is unable to respond appropriately when economic times become troubled.

Asked about their opinions over the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact, 59 percent of respondents said they supported the broad agreement Japan and other negotiating countries reached, while 28 percent said they did not.

In Japan, for instance, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been pushing a package of reforms.

Shigeru Ishiba, state minister in charge of vitalizing local economy, who formed his own intraparty faction after the LDP presidential election in September, has accepted Abe’s request to remain in his post. The Japanese Communist Party drew 6% support, while Komeito, the LDP’s coalition partner, drew 4%. One each is from factions of Kishida, Nikai, Ishiba and Nobuteru Ishihara.

Approval was at 51% for the set of senior staff Abe appointed upon his return to power in 2012, and 40% for leadership following last year’s shuffle.

Mr Koichi Hagiuda, a Liberal Democratic Party aide to the Premier, replaces Mr Kato. Six of the ministers do not belong to any faction. Katsuyuki Kawai, former vice minister of justice, and Masahiko Shibayama, former vice minister for internal affairs and communications, were appointed as assistants to the prime minister.