In a desperate effort to mend his and his Cabinet's damaged credibility, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took the safe course Monday by picking a new team of mainly veteran lawmakers, including Liberal Democratic Party faction leaders.
The new lineup marks a clear shift from the "Cabinet of pals" who got portfolios when Abe took office last year, analysts said.
Many members of the first Abe Cabinet were younger-generation LDP lawmakers who shared his right-leaning ideas or played key roles in his election as party president last September.