Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his Cabinet for the seventh time Wednesday, trying again to boost popularity among voters by tapping fresh faces and further cement his power base by doling out prestigious Cabinet posts to ruling lawmakers — business as usual.
But this time, political observers have focused on one key question: What does the reshuffle reveal about who may be a potential candidate to be the next prime minister?
Abe's term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party expires in September 2021, making this potentially Abe's last Cabinet reshuffle. Serving as a key Cabinet minister is widely considered to be a prerequisite for any LDP politician seeking to enter the presidential race. Because of that, public attention is focused on who Abe picks for key Cabinet posts.