The lineup of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet seems to underline his determination to learn from his mistakes.
During his first run as prime minister from 2006 to 2007, Abe concentrated mainly on diplomacy and patriotism, even though the public was clearly focused on issues related to their livelihoods, such as the pension system and the postal reforms achieved by his popular predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi.
As a consequence, the Liberal Democratic Party was crushed in the 2007 Upper House election, which eventually forced Abe to step down that year.