Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida intends to change the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party to boost his sagging popularity.
NHK reported today that foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will be succeeded by Yoko Kamikawa, a former justice minister who oversaw the execution of the leader of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult that carried out a deadly sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995. Elsewhere, Minoru Kihara will replace Yasukazu Hamada as Japan’s defence minister. Kihara currently heads a Japan-Taiwan interparliamentary group.Most of the other key cabinet ministers are likely to retain their posts, a sign that there will be no drastic overhaul of economic policies. Finance minister Shunichi Suzuki and industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura are set to remain, NHK reported.
Hirokazu Matsuno will remain chief cabinet secretary, a key position that involves being the main government spokesman and coordinating policies among ministries.