Embattled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe officially announced Tuesday that he will reshuffle his Cabinet on Thursday, with Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Toshimitsu Motegi and former Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera expected to be given key portfolios in the new lineup.
The announcement, made during a regular Cabinet meeting, is widely seen as part of a desperate bid by Abe to shore up an approval rate that has plummeted in recent weeks amid a spate of scandals involving Cabinet ministers.
"A new Cabinet will continue promoting policies advocated by the administration, making the economic revitalization its top priority," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said.