Prime Minister Kishida’s Reshuffled Cabinet (Updated November 14)

On August 10, 2022, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio made his first major cabinet reshuffle. While key figures like Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu, Minister of Finance Suzuki Shun’ichi, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa stayed in place, he selected 14 new members, including 9 without previous cabinet experience.

Kōno Tarō and Takaichi Sanae, who lost out to Kishida in the 2021 LDP presidential election, made their first appearances in one of his cabinets. Kishida tapped Kōno as minister of digital transformation and Takaichi, who is one of just two women in the cabinet, as minister for economic security. Hamada Yasukazu returned for a second term as minister of defense, replacing Kishi Nobuo, who has suffered health issues. Katō Katsunobu began a third stint as minister of health, labor, and welfare.

Two new members joined the cabinet in the autumn of 2022. Gotō Shigeyuki became minister for economic revitalization on October 25, replacing Yamagiwa Daishirō, who stepped down due to his connections to the Unification Church. Saitō Ken on November 11 became minister of justice, replacing Hanashi Yasuhiro, who tendered his resignation after a gaffe viewed as mocking his position. 

The full list of cabinet members is as follows. Ages are as of August 10, 2022.

Prime minister

Kishida Fumio (65), LDP, House of Representatives (Hiroshima)

Minister of internal affairs and communications (first cabinet post)

Terada Minoru (64), LDP, House of Representatives (Hiroshima)

Minister of justice (new as of November 11)

Saitō Ken (63), LDP, House of Representatives (Chiba)

Minister for foreign affairs (unchanged)

Hayashi Yoshimasa (61), LDP, House of Representatives (Yamaguchi)

Minister of finance, minister of state for financial services (unchanged)

Suzuki Shun’ichi (69), LDP, House of Representatives (Iwate)

Minister of education, culture, sports, science, and technology (first cabinet post)

Nagaoka Keiko (68), LDP, House of Representatives (Ibaraki)

Minister of health, labor, and welfare

Katō Katsunobu (66), LDP, House of Representatives (Okayama)

Minister of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (first cabinet post)

Nomura Tetsurō (78), LDP, House of Councillors (Kagoshima)

Minister of economy, trade, and industry

Nishimura Yasutoshi (59), LDP, House of Representatives (Hyōgo)

Minister of land, infrastructure, transport, and tourism (unchanged)

Saitō Tetsuo (70), Kōmeitō, House of Representatives (proportional representation, Tōhoku)

Minister of the environment (first cabinet post)

Nishimura Akihiro (62), LDP, House of Representatives (Miyagi)

Minister of defense

Hamada Yasukazu (66), LDP, House of Representatives (Chiba)

Chief cabinet secretary, minister in charge of the abduction issue (unchanged)

Matsuno Hirokazu (59), LDP, House of Representatives (Chiba)

Minister for digital transformation

Kōno Tarō (59), LDP, House of Representatives (Kanagawa)

Minister for reconstruction (first cabinet post)

Akiba Ken’ya (60), LDP, House of Representatives (proportional representation)

Chair of the National Public Safety Commission, minister of state for disaster management (first cabinet post)

Tani Kōichi (70), LDP, House of Representatives (Hyōgo)

Minister of state for regional revitalization (first cabinet post)

Okada Naoki (60), LDP, House of Councillors (Ishikawa)

Minister for economic revitalization (new as of October 25)

Gotō Shigeyuki (66), LDP, House of Representatives (Nagano)

Minister for economic security

Takaichi Sanae (61), LDP, House of Representatives (Nara)

Minister of state for measures for declining birthrate (first cabinet post)

Ogura Masanobu (41), LDP, House of Representatives (Tokyo)

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, at front center, poses for a commemorative photo with the members of his new cabinet at the Kantei in Tokyo on August 10, 2022. © Jiji.)