Second Hashimoto Cabinet

Second Hashimoto Cabinet
83rd Cabinet of Japan
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto (front row, centre) with the re-elected cabinet inside the Kantei, November 7, 1996
Date formed	November 7, 1996
Date dissolved	September 11, 1997
People and organisations
Head of state	Emperor Akihito
Head of government	Ryutaro Hashimoto
Member party	LDP
Status in legislature	Minority government (with SDP and NPS extra-cabinet support) (1996-97) HR majority, HC minority government (but with continued SDP & NPS support) (1997-98)
Opposition party	New Frontier Party (1996-97) Democratic Party (1997-98) Democratic Party of Japan (1998)
Opposition leader	Ichirō Ozawa (until December 31, 1997) Naoto Kan (from December 31, 1997)
History
Elections	1996 general election 1998 councillors election
Predecessor	First Hashimoto Cabinet
Successor	Second Hashimoto Cabinet (Reshuffle)

The Second Hashimoto Cabinet governed Japan from November 1996 to July 1998 under the leadership of Ryutaro Hashimoto.

Political background

Hashimoto had become Prime Minister in January 1996 at the head of a three-party coalition, and was returned to office in the general election of November 1996. While the coalition parties (the Liberal Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party and the New Party Sakigake) won a slim majority in the House of Representatives, the SDP and NPS had seen their popularity collapse due to their association with the coalition, and decided to remain outside the government. Therefore, Hashimoto formed a minority, wholly LDP government (the first since 1993) with the promise of SDP and NPS support when he was elected by the National Diet on November 7. He promised to continue his policies of "six great reforms" in the areas of administration, financial markets, education, social security, fiscal policy and economic policy, and appointed several former ministers to cabinet to help achieve this. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Less than a year into Hashimoto's second term in September 1997, the LDP regained a slim majority in the lower house due to defections from, and eventual break up of the opposition New Frontier Party, although the government maintained its alliance with the SDP and NPS. ^[4] Several days later, Hashimoto conducted a cabinet reshuffle, which backfired when he was severely criticised for his appointment of Koko Sato, who had been convicted of bribery in relation to the Lockheed Scandal. This criticism forced Sato to resign after only 11 days in office. ^{[5] [6]} The government was damaged further when Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka resigned in January 1998 because of a corruption scandal that had been uncovered in the Finance Ministry. ^[7] At the same time, as part of efforts to close the budget deficit, Hashimoto's government raised the consumption tax in 1998, which negatively affected consumer demand and caused a recession at a time of high unemployment. ^[8]

By 1998 the poor economic situation, the backlash against economic reforms and the cabinet resignations had greatly diminished Hashimoto's popularity. In the 1998 House of Councillor's election, the LDP lost several seats, leaving the government in a minority. Hashimoto immediately resigned and was replaced by Foreign Minister Keizō Obuchi, who took office on July 30, 1998, and inaugurated the Obuchi Cabinet. ^{[9] [10]}

Election of the prime minister

7 November 1996
Absolute majority required

House of Representatives
Choice		Runoff Vote
		Votes
	Y Ryutaro Hashimoto	262 / 500
	Ichirō Ozawa	152 / 500
	Others and Abstentions (Including Speaker and Deputy)	86 / 500
Source Diet Minutes - 138th Session

List of ministers

   Liberal Democratic
R = Member of the House of Representatives
C = Member of the House of Councillors

Cabinet

Cabinet of Ryutaro Hashimoto from November 7, 1996, to September 11, 1997

Portfolio	Minister			Term of office
Prime Minister		Ryutaro Hashimoto	R	January 11, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Justice		Isao Matsuura	C	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Foreign Affairs		Yukihiko Ikeda	R	January 11, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Finance		Hiroshi Mitsuzuka	R	November 7, 1996 - January 28, 1998
Minister of Education		Takashi Kosugi	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Health and Welfare		Junichiro Koizumi	R	November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries		Takao Fujimoto	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of International Trade and Industry		Shinji Sato	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Transport		Makoto Koga	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications		Hisao Horinōchi	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Labour		Yutaka Okano	C	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Construction		Shizuka Kamei	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Home Affairs Director of the National Public Safety Commission		Katsuhiko Shirakawa	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Chief Cabinet Secretary		Seiroku Kajiyama	R	January 11, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the Management and Coordination Agency		Kabun Mutō	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the Hokkaido Development Agency Director of the Okinawa Development Agency		Jitsuo Inagaki	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the Japan Defense Agency		Fumio Kyūma	R	November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Economic Planning Agency		Tarō Asō	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the Science and Technology Agency		Riichiro Chikaoka	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the Environment Agency		Michiko Ishii	C	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the National Land Agency		Kosuke Ito	R	November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997

Reshuffled cabinet

Second Hashimoto Cabinet (Reshuffle)
83rd Cabinet of Japan
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto (front row, centre) with his reshuffled cabinet inside the Kantei, September 11, 1997
Date formed	September 11, 1997
Date dissolved	July 30, 1998
People and organisations
Head of state	Emperor Akihito
Head of government	Ryutaro Hashimoto
Member party	LDP
Status in legislature	Minority government (with SDP and NPS extra-cabinet support) (1996-97) HR majority, HC minority government (but with continued SDP & NPS support) (1997-98)
Opposition party	New Frontier Party (1996-97) Democratic Party (1997-98) Democratic Party of Japan (1998)
Opposition leader	Ichirō Ozawa (until December 31, 1997) Naoto Kan (from December 31, 1997)
History
Elections	1996 general election 1998 councillors election
Predecessor	Second Hashimoto Cabinet
Successor	Obuchi Cabinet

Cabinet of Ryutaro Hashimoto from September 11, 1997, to July 30, 1998

Portfolio	Minister			Term of office
Prime Minister		Ryutaro Hashimoto	R	January 11, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Justice		Kokichi Shimoinaba	C	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Foreign Affairs		Keizō Obuchi	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Finance		Hiroshi Mitsuzuka	R	November 7, 1996 - January 28, 1998
		Hikaru Matsunaga	R	January 30, 1998 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Education		Nobutaka Machimura	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Health and Welfare		Junichiro Koizumi	R	November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries		Ihei Ochi	R	September 11, 1997 - September 25, 1997
		Yoshinobu Shimamura	R	September 26, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of International Trade and Industry		Mitsuo Horiuchi	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Transport		Takao Fujii	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications		Shozaburo Jimi	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Labour		Bunmei Ibuki	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Construction		Tsutomu Kawara	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Home Affairs Director of the National Public Safety Commission		Mitsuhiro Uesugi	C	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Chief Cabinet Secretary		Kanezo Muraoka	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Management and Coordination Agency		Koko Sato	R	September 11, 1997 - September 22, 1997
		Sadatoshi Ozato	R	September 22, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Hokkaido Development Agency Director of the Okinawa Development Agency		Muneo Suzuki	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Japan Defense Agency		Fumio Kyūma	R	November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Economic Planning Agency		Kōji Omi	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Science and Technology Agency		Sadakazu Tanigaki	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Environment Agency		Hiroshi Oki	C	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the National Land Agency		Hisaoki Kamei	R	September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998

Changes

• September 22, 1997 - Director of the Management and Co-Ordination Agency, Koko Sato resigned due to criticism of a previous conviction for bribery in connection with the Lockheed Scandal and was replaced by Sadatoshi Ozato. ^[11]
• September 27, 1997 - Agriculture Minister Ihei Ochi resigned after suffering a stroke and was replaced with Yoshinobu Shimamura. ^[12]
• January 28, 1998 - Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka resigned to take responsibility for departmental corruption and was replaced with Hikaru Matsunaga. ^[13]

References

1. Efron, Sonni. "Japan Re-elects Ryutaro Hashimoto To Second Term as Prime Minister". LA Times. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
2. "Profile of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
3. Eur (2002). The Far East and Australasia 2003. Psychology Press. p. 587. ISBN   9781857431339 . Retrieved 9 December 2016.
4. "Ousted ruling party in Japan regains power Liberal Democrats control lower house of legislature after several rivals defect". LA Times. 6 September 1997. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
5. "Hashimoto Names New Cabinet". LA Times. 12 September 1997. Archived from the original on 8 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
6. "WORLD Japanese PM defends 'second chance' for Cabinet former convict Koko Sato". Hurriyet Daily News. Reuters. 13 September 1997. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
7. Wudunn, Sheryl (29 January 1998). "INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS; Japan's Top Finance Bureaucrat Resigns, a Day After His Leader". New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
8. "Economic woes test Hashimoto's political mettle". BBC News. 15 June 1998. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
9. "Hashimoto Resigns as Prime Minister After Japanese Rebuff LDP in Vote". Wall Street Journal. 13 July 1998. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
10. "Markets recover after Hashimoto resigns". BBC News. 14 July 1998. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
11. Sullivan, Kevin (23 September 1997). "Japan Minister Resigns In Wake Of Public Outrage". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
12. "Shimamura replaces ailing Ochi at agriculture helm". The Japan Times. 26 September 1997. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
13. Wudunn, Sheryl (29 January 1998). "INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS; Japan's Top Finance Bureaucrat Resigns, a Day After His Leader". New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.

External links

Lists of Ministers at the Kantei:

• Second Hashimoto Cabinet (in Japanese)
• (reshuffled) (in Japanese)