Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto was re-elected president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Sept. 8 and immediately began working on a reshuffle of top party and Cabinet posts.

Hashimoto became the first LDP president to win a second term in 13 years when no other candidates emerged to challenge him during the party's registry of candidates for the election.

"We should make efforts to bring about a bright future for the 21st century by comprehensively reforming the current 50-year-old systems of our society, even though changes in traditional systems are often accompanied by pain," Hashimoto told reporters during a press conference after winning his second term.