Having surprised everyone by naming young Shinzo Abe as the new secretary general of the LDP on Sunday, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi opted for a more staid formula in announcing his new Cabinet on Monday.
Koizumi retained several key ministers -- Heizo Takenaka as minister in charge of financial services and economic and fiscal policy, Yoriko Kawaguchi as foreign minister and Yasuo Fukuda as chief Cabinet secretary.
Eight of Koizumi's ministers survived from his previous Cabinet, with six of these remaining in the same posts, including Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba and health minister Chikara Sakaguchi.