The personal and family assets of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and his Cabinet at the time of the Cabinet's formation July 4 averaged 258 million yen, according to government data released on Friday.

The average assets of Mori and 17 Cabinet members was 29 million yen more than that of Mori's first Cabinet, formed April 5 after he took over from Keizo Obuchi, who suffered a stroke, lapsed into a coma and subsequently died May 14.

The Cabinet has 19 ministers, but the assets of Hideyuki Aizawa, who replaced Kimitaka Kuze on Sunday as chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission, were not included in the list and will be announced separately.

The list, however, included the 160 million yen assets of Kuze, who resigned in a scandal over benefits he received from two companies.

Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, who has real estate holdings in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, continued to be the wealthiest Cabinet member with assets of 1.533 billion yen, followed by Economic Planning Agency chief and best-selling author Taichi Sakaiya, who reported 941 million yen.

Mori was the 11th wealthiest person in the Cabinet with assets of 129 million yen. Twelve of the 18 members had assets exceeding 100 million yen.

Labor Minister Yoshio Yoshikawa had the fewest assets, with 16 million yen.

Mori's assets consist of his house in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward, a 200-year-old building in his birthplace of Ishikawa Prefecture, land holdings, stocks with face value of about 15 million yen, five golf course memberships and three cars.

In addition, his wife has savings of 25 million yen, the data showed. Mori has outstanding loans from two banks worth a combined 118 million yen, about 1 million yen less than the amount he held as of April 5.

Friday's list covers assets reported by Cabinet members and parliamentary vice ministers, as well as those of their spouses and dependents.

The assets include real estate, fixed deposits, stocks, bonds, golf course memberships, automobiles, yachts, airplanes, racing horses and works of art.

Cabinet ministers have voluntarily declared their personal assets since January 1984, when then Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone initiated the disclosure following the 1983 conviction of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka in the Lockheed bribery scandal.

Ministers disclose their financial holdings both when they assume Cabinet posts and when they leave.

The government says the practice helps prevent politicians from accumulating assets by abusing their official status.