PM Takaichi to Unveil Her 2nd Cabinet on Thurs.

Tokyo, Sept. 16 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is set to unveil her second cabinet on Thursday, retaining most of her key ministers from the first cabinet.

This will be her first cabinet reshuffle since taking office last October. Takaichi plans to reappoint Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, 57, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, 70, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama, 67, and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 45.

Takaichi is also expected to offer a cabinet position to Senate lawmaker Toshiharu Furukawa, 63, as requested by Upper House members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The focal point is whether internal affairs minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, 65, who ran against Takaichi in last year's LDP presidential election, will remain in the cabinet.

The LDP's coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, will send a member to the cabinet for the first time, with former party Secretary-General Hiroshi Nakatsuka, 70, set to assume a ministerial position.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]