Prime Minister Taro Aso gave up an apparent plan to rejigger the Liberal Democratic Party's top posts Wednesday as strong opposition from LDP heavyweights only left him leeway to fill two Cabinet posts concurrently held by other ministers.
On Wednesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura announced that Upper House legislator Yoshimasa Hayashi will become the fiscal and economic policy minister, lightening the load of triple-hitting Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano, who is also financial services minister.
Lower House lawmaker Motoo Hayashi will be appointed chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, a post concurrently held by internal affairs minister Tsutomu Sato, Kawamura said. Sato replaced Kunio Hatoyama, who resigned last month as internal affairs minister over a spat with Aso.