New Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae Picks Katayama Satsuki as First Female Finance Minister in Starting Cabinet

After taking office as Japan’s first female prime minister on October 21, 2025, Takaichi Sanae has picked Katayama Satsuki as the country’s first female minister of finance; the cabinet includes two female ministers. She has also tapped rivals in the Liberal Democratic Party leadership contest for cabinet positions. Motegi Toshimitsu steps in as minister of foreign affairs, Hayashi Yoshimasa is the new minister of internal affairs and communications, and Koizumi Shinjirō takes over as minister of defense. Akazawa Ryōsei, who was prominent in tariff negotiations with the United States, becomes minister of economy, trade, and industry. There are 10 ministers making their first appearance in the cabinet.

Earlier this month, Takaichi appointed Asō Tarō as LDP vice-president and Asō’s brother-in-law Suzuki Shun’ichi as secretary-general. Kobayashi Takayuki became LDP policy chief, meaning that Takaichi found positions for all four of the candidates she defeated in the party presidential election.

In the LDP’s previous coalition with Kōmeitō, the smaller party regularly filled the post of minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism. However, Takaichi’s cabinet does not include any representatives from new coalition partner Nippon Ishin no Kai.

The full list of cabinet members is as follows. Ages are as of October 21, 2025.

Prime minister

Takaichi Sanae (64), LDP, House of Representatives (Nara)

Minister of internal affairs and communications

Hayashi Yoshimasa (64), LDP, House of Representatives (Yamaguchi)

Minister of justice (first cabinet post)

Hiraguchi Hiroshi (77), LDP, House of Representatives (Hiroshima)

Minister for foreign affairs

Motegi Toshimitsu (70), LDP, House of Representatives (Tochigi)

Minister of finance, minister of state for financial services

Katayama Satsuki (66), LDP, House of Councillors (proportional representation)

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

Matsumoto Yōhei (52), LDP, House of Representatives (proportional representation)

Minister of health, labor, and welfare (first cabinet post)

Ueno Ken’ichirō (60), LDP, House of Representatives (Shiga)

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

Suzuki Norikazu (43), LDP, House of Representatives (Yamagata)

Minister of economy, trade, and industry

Akazawa Ryōsei (64), LDP, House of Representatives (Tottori)

Minister of land, infrastructure, transport, and tourism

Kaneko Yasushi (64), LDP, House of Representatives (Kumamoto)

Minister of the environment (first cabinet post)

Ishihara Hirotaka (61), LDP, House of Representatives (Tokyo)

Minister of defense

Koizumi Shinjirō (44), LDP, House of Representatives (Kanagawa)

Chief cabinet secretary, minister in charge of the abduction issue

Kihara Minoru (56), LDP, House of Representatives (Kumamoto)

Minister for digital transformation (first cabinet post)

Matsumoto Hisashi (63), LDP, House of Representatives (Chiba)

Minister for reconstruction (first cabinet post)

Makino Takao (66), LDP, House of Councillors (Shizuoka)

Chair of the National Public Safety Commission (first cabinet post)

Akama Jirō (57), LDP, House of Representatives (Kanagawa)

Minister of children’s policy (first cabinet post)

Kikawada Hitoshi (55), LDP, House of Representatives (Saitama)

Minister for growth strategy

Kiuchi Minoru (60), LDP, House of Representatives (Shizuoka)

Minister for economic security, minister in charge of foreign resident issues (first cabinet post)

Onoda Kimi (42), LDP, House of Councillors (Okayama)

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, at front center, poses for a commemorative photo with the members of her new cabinet at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on October 21, 2025. © Reuters.)