Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his Cabinet on Tuesday, retaining linchpins of his administration while at the same time going out of his way to favor party factions that contributed to his election victory last month.
Abe retained what he called the "foundation" of his administration, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Finance Minister Taro Aso, who doubles as deputy prime minister, and Foreign Minister Taro Kono. But the 19-member Cabinet also counts among its ranks 12 lawmakers who have never held any portfolio before — the highest figure for such individuals during Abe's administration.
Despite his calls to put more women in higher positions in society, Abe named only one woman, Satsuki Katayama, in his new Cabinet, as regional revitalization and female empowerment minister.