New Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda inaugurated his Cabinet Friday. Its lineup and the composition of the Democratic Party of Japan leadership point to his utmost efforts to ensure unity in the ruling party, which has suffered from conflict between forces supporting former DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa and forces opposing the spread of his influence. The Cabinet lineup does not seem strong enough to give out a clear message as to what kind of nation the new administration would like to build.
The Cabinet must prove that it is determined to carry out best possible policies to steer Japan out of its current difficulties, such as the effects of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and of the fiasco at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, threats from the strong yen and deflation and the weakening of social safety nets.
Mr. Noda's efforts to bring unity to the DPJ was best shown by his choice of Mr. Azuma Koshiishi, chairman of the DPJ's Upper House caucus who is close to Mr. Ozawa, as party secretary general. The secretary general controls the funds and personnel affairs of the party. It is unprecedented that an Upper House member becomes party secretary general.