First Abe Cabinet

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First Abe Cabinet
Flag of Japan.svg
90th Cabinet of Japan
26 September 200626 September 2007
Shinzo Abe Cabinet 20060926.jpg
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (front row, centre) with the newly-elected cabinet inside the Kantei, September 26, 2006
Date formedSeptember 26, 2006
Date dissolvedSeptember 26, 2007
People and organisations
Head of stateEmperor Akihito
Head of government Shinzo Abe
Member party LDPNKP Coalition
Status in legislatureHoR: LDP-K Coalition supermajority
HoC: LDP-K Coalition majority
Opposition party Democratic Party of Japan
Opposition leader Ichirō Ozawa
History
Election 2007 councillors election
Legislature term172th National Diet
Predecessor Third Koizumi Cabinet
Successor Yasuo Fukuda Cabinet

The First Abe Cabinet governed Japan under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from September 2006 to September 2007. [1] The government was a coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito and controlled both the upper and lower houses of the National Diet.The cabinet faced policy issues regarding government debts and the shrinking population. [2]

Contents

At a joint press conference Hakuo Yanagisawa, who was appointed Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, spoke to a number of issues including reform of the Social Insurance Agency, measures against the decline in the birthrate, the unification of the Employees Pension Plan and the Mutual Pension Plan for public servants, and revision of labor-related laws. [2]

At the onset Prime Minister Abe's approval rating was 70%, but dropped to 30% [3] prior to the 2007 House of Councilors election, which resulted in the LDP losing the Upper House to the Democratic Party of Japan and becoming the second party for the first time in its history. Abe subsequently resigned, citing health reasons. [4] Abe was criticized for not explaining his thinking enough to show where Japan was going. [3]

Background

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe 20060926.jpg
Prime Minister Shinzō Abe

Abe was elected to the House of Representatives in 1993, and by 1999 was serving as Director of the Committee on Health and Welfare, and as Director of the Social Affairs Division of the Liberal Democratic Party. [1] In 2003, Abe was elected Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party, and two years later became Chief Cabinet Secretary.

Abe took office as the first Japanese Prime Minister born in the postwar period. [1]

Election of the prime minister

Abe succeeded Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. He maintained Koizumi's emphasis on the U.S.-Japan alliance as the basis of national defense, but he wanted Japan to be a more equal partner. One goal of his administration was to revise Japan's constitution to normalize the use of military force. [1]

26 September 2006
Absolute majority (238/475) required
House of Representatives
ChoiceFirst Vote
Votes
Yes check.svg Shinzo Abe
339 / 475
Ichirō Ozawa
136 / 475
Source
26 September 2006
Absolute majority (121/240) required
House of Councillors
ChoiceFirst Vote
Votes
Yes check.svg Shinzo Abe
136 / 240
Ichirō Ozawa
104 / 240
Source

Lists of ministers

   Liberal Democratic
   New Komeito
   Independent
R = Member of the House of Representatives
C = Member of the House of Councillors

Cabinet

Abe announced his Cabinet on September 26, 2006. [1] The largest Mori faction in the Liberal Democratic Party received the most appointments.

First Abe Cabinet from September 26, 2006 to August 27, 2007
PortfolioMinisterTerm of office
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe RSeptember 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007
Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
Minister of State for Decentralization Reform
Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services
Yoshihide Suga RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Minister of Justice Jinen Nagase RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Minister of Foreign Affairs Tarō Asō ROctober 31, 2005 – August 27, 2007
Minister of Finance Kōji Omi RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Bunmei Ibuki RSeptember 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007
Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare Hakuo Yanagisawa RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Toshikatsu Matsuoka CSeptember 26, 2006 – May 28, 2007
Masatoshi Wakabayashi CMay 28, 2007 – June 1, 2007
Norihiko Akagi RJune 1, 2007 – August 1, 2007
Masatoshi Wakabayashi CAugust 1, 2007 – August 27, 2007
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akira Amari RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 2, 2008
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Minister for Ocean Policy
Tetsuzo Fuyushiba RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 2, 2008
Minister of the Environment
Minister in Charge of Global Environmental Problems
Masatoshi Wakabayashi CSeptember 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Minister of Defense Fumio Kyūma RJanuary 9, 2007 – July 4, 2007
Yuriko Koike RJuly 4, 2007 – August 27, 2007
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Minister of State, Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission
Minister of State for Disaster Management
Kensei Mizote CSeptember 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
Minister of State for Innovation
Minister of State for Gender Equality
Minister of State for Social Affairs and Food Safety
Sanae Takaichi RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Minister of State for Financial Services Yuji Yamamoto RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Hiroko Ōta September 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007
Minister of State for Regulatory Reform Genichiro Sata RSeptember 26, 2006 – December 28, 2006
Yoshimi Watanabe RDecember 28, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Deputy Secretaries
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Representatives) Hakubun Shimomura RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Councillors) Seiji Suzuki COctober 31, 2005 – August 27, 2007
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) Junzo Sotoba September 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007

Changes

Reshuffled cabinet

First Abe Cabinet
(Reshuffle)
Flag of Japan.svg
90th Cabinet of Japan
Shinzo Abe Cabinet 20070827.jpg
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (front row, centre) with his reshuffled cabinet inside the Kantei, August 27, 2007
Date formedAugust 27, 2007
Date dissolvedSeptember 26, 2007
People and organisations
Head of stateEmperor Akihito
Head of government Shinzo Abe
Member party LDPNKP Coalition
Status in legislatureHoR: LDP-K Coalition supermajority
HoC: LDP-K Coalition majority
Opposition party Democratic Party of Japan
Opposition leader Ichirō Ozawa
History
Election 2007 councillors election
Legislature term172th National Diet
Predecessor First Abe Cabinet
Successor Yasuo Fukuda Cabinet
First Abe Cabinet from August 27, 2007 to September 26, 2007
PortfolioMinisterTerm of office
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe RSeptember 26, 2006 – September 26, 2006
Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
Minister of State for Decentralization Reform
Minister of State for Correcting Regional Disparities
Minister of State for Regional Government (doshu-sei)
Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services
Hiroya Masuda August 27, 2007 – September 24, 2008
Minister of Justice Kunio Hatoyama RAugust 27, 2007 – August 2, 2008
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura RAugust 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007
Minister of Finance Fukushiro Nukaga RAugust 27, 2007 – August 2, 2008
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Bunmei Ibuki RSeptember 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007
Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare Yōichi Masuzoe CAugust 27, 2007 – September 26, 2009
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Takehiko Endo RAugust 27, 2007 – September 3, 2007
Masatoshi Wakabayashi CSeptember 3, 2007 – August 2, 2008
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akira Amari RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 2, 2008
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Minister for Ocean Policy
Tetsuzo Fuyushiba RSeptember 26, 2006 – August 2, 2008
Minister of the Environment
Minister in Charge of Global Environmental Problems
Ichirō Kamoshita RAugust 27, 2007 – August 2, 2008
Minister of Defense Masahiko Kōmura RAugust 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007
Chief Cabinet Secretary
Minister of State for the Abduction Issue
Kaoru Yosano RAugust 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007
Minister of State, Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission
Minister of State for Disaster Management and Food Safety
Shinya Izumi CAugust 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007
Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
Minister of State for Quality-of-Life Policy
Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
Minister of State for "Challenge Again" Initiative
Minister of State for Regulatory Reform
Fumio Kishida RAugust 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007
Minister of State for Financial Services and Administrative Reform Yoshimi Watanabe RAugust 27, 2007 – September 24, 2008
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Hiroko Ōta September 26, 2006 – September 24, 2008
Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs Yōko Kamikawa RSeptember 26, 2006 – September 24, 2008
Deputy Secretaries
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Representatives) Matsushige Ono RAugust 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Councillors) Mitsuhide Iwaki CAugust 27, 2007 – September 24, 2008
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) Junzo Sotoba September 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007

Changes

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Shinzo Abe". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  2. 1 2 "Abe Cabinet Inaugurated | JILPT". www.jil.go.jp. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  3. 1 2 "The Japan Society – Utsukushii Kuni E (Toward a Beautiful Country)". www.japansociety.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  4. "Explainer: What do we know about the health of Japan's Shinzo Abe?". Reuters. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2022-12-08.

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