Japanese PM to reshuffle cabinet, key posts likely remain unchanged

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to reshuffle his cabinet and top executives of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Wednesday, while key government ministers and the top five LDP executives are likely to retain their posts.

The reshuffle follows a big dive of the approval rating for the prime minister in recent months after the Abe government and ruling bloc forcibly enacted controversial security legislations which are widely seen as unconstitutional.

The five LDP executives are vice President Masahiko Komura, Secretary General Sadakazu Tanigaki, Policy Research Council Chairwoman Tomomi Inada, General Council Chairman Toshihiro Nikai, and Election Strategy Committee Chairman Toshimitsu Motegi.

While, key government ministers like Finance Minister Taro Aso, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Akira Amari, minister of economic and fiscal policy, will retain their positions, according to local reports.

In the cabinet reshuffle, Abe will create a new ministerial post to honor his commitment to establish "a society in which all 100 million people can be active."

The new post is part of Abe's new three policies of the " Abenomics 2.0" complex.

Local reports said that Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, Yasuhisa Shiozaki, minister of health, labor and welfare, and Toshiaki Endo, minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, are also likely to retain their posts.

Education Minister Hakubun Shimomura is expected to be replaced for a ditched design of the Tokyo Olympic stadium over soaring costs.

While, Keiichi Ishii, policy chief of the Komeito Party, the LDP's junior ruling partner, is likely to replace Akihiro Ota as minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism. Enditem