Japan’s leader taps new Cabinet ministers to freshen image
Getting the greatest attention was the new environment minister,
Koizumi's father was popular during his tenure. Expectations in the Japanese public have been high for years that the younger Koizumi is destined to be
He told reporters that he saw the environment as leading to positive social change because of concerns about global warming, plastic waste and sustainability. He said that on Thursday he would head to Fukushima, the area in northeastern
"I want to go to Fukushima first and foremost," Koizumi told reporters. "The environment is one area where
Besides the glamor of his famous father, Koizumi recently married a TV broadcaster and has an actor for a brother.
Abe, who has made cordial relations with President
Finance Minister
Continuity in leadership was seen as critical because
Both sides have said a basic deal has been reached that will open Japanese markets to
Koizumi has tended to keep a distance from Abe, although both hold the conservative pro-
"Abe wanted get the popular Koizumi under his control," Uchiyama said. "This is a big step for Koizumi toward becoming future prime minister, but he will also be tested for the first time in a major way."
Also in the limelight are two new female ministers, Internal Affairs and Communications Minister
Women in the
Abe is the longest-serving prime minister in
Although he has had his share of domestic scandals, he has managed to stay in power.
The nationally circulated Asahi newspaper said the
"A strategy to create a post-Abe fight," a front-page headline said.
The opposition is divided and widely perceived as disorganized and weak by voters, and has not put up much of a challenge.
The opposition has wrested power several times in recent decades, but it has fumbled repeatedly, allowing the Liberal Democrats to nearly continuously rule
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