Japan's history is one of family dynasties, from the Emperor's 1,400-year lineage to the father-son inheritance of kabuki theater roles. And then there's the Cabinet chosen by Prime Minister Taro Aso.
Aso filled 11 of 17 Cabinet positions with descendants of former lawmakers last month. That beat predecessor Yasuo Fukuda's eight such appointments in his August reshuffle, before his abrupt resignation. In 2005, Junichiro Koizumi used outsider candidates to win 68 percent of Lower House seats for the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling coalition — and then gave nine Cabinet posts to legislators' relatives.
That penchant for recycling may hurt the new prime minister's LDP in the next general election, which could be called as early as next month.