New Foreign Minister Iwaya well-versed in security issues
New Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya is well-versed in security issues, having served as defense minister for nearly one year from October 2018 under the government of Shinzo Abe.
The 67-year-old, a ninth-term House of Representatives lawmaker from Oita Prefecture in southwestern Japan, enters the new Cabinet after playing a key role in supporting Shigeru Ishiba’s bid to become the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader, and therefore Japan’s prime minister. He has also been a senior vice foreign minister.
Iwaya, who is a graduate of Waseda University, enjoys playing the guitar and bicycle riding. He is known to have close connections with Japanese entrepreneur and SoftBank Group Corp. CEO Masayoshi Son, whom he said he first met when he was a high school student.
Kato gets finance portfolio with social security expertise
Katsunobu Kato, tapped as the finance minister, is known for his background and vast knowledge in economic and social security policies.
The 68-year-old former finance bureaucrat, who was close to the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has held several key posts in the past including chief Cabinet secretary, a job that made him the top government spokesman. As the health minister, he led Japan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While his “bureaucratic” work style has been praised, some say he is an uninspiring speaker. In the first round of voting for the recent Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, Kato came in last place out of nine candidates.
Ex-SDF officer Nakatani returns as defense minister
Former Self-Defense Forces officer Gen Nakatani returns to his former post as defense chief, having previously led efforts to enact key security laws in 2015 that enabled Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense.
The 66-year-old, who pushed for the expansion of the SDF’s role overseas, became the first former SDF officer to serve as director general of the Defense Agency, the predecessor of the Defense Ministry, in 2001 under then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Nakatani, an alumnus of the National Defense Academy, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 and served as defense minister between 2014 and 2016. An avid rugby fan, he was an instructor of an elite ranger unit of the Ground Self-Defense Force before leaving the SDF in 1984.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi vows “benevolent” politics in LDP bid
Yoshimasa Hayashi, the current prime minister’s right-hand man who has held major government posts including foreign minister, is touting his vision of “benevolent” politics in his bid for the leadership of Japan’s ruling party.
It is the 63-year-old chief Cabinet secretary’s second run for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency, his first being in 2012. Hayashi’s supporters say his extensive experience in government puts him in a strong position in the race.
The Harvard-educated lawmaker was a member of the House of Councillors for 26 years before winning his current House of Representatives seat in 2021. He is known to enjoy playing musical instruments such as the piano and guitar.
BY: The Times Union
