Abe to reshuffle cabinet in bid to boost his agenda

I want the goverment to sharply cut spending.

Shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Stack the deck Abe! Nice! - He did the same thing to get bill through to allow changes to the constitution without a public referendum.

Abe is not playing with a full deck.

It's all politics, children. Control, even what seem to be spontaneous events, and you win. It's all politics. Keep smiling! It's what keeps you here, at JT.

A little less than two years into his tenure as prime minister, weeds of discontent in his often-fractious party are also beginning to emerge, as the restless ranks of politicians brought up on a system of age-based seniority agitate for a crack at a cabinet job.

Poor reasons for changing the Canbinet. As Trevor says, all he is doing is aquiescing to the demands of some spoiled. old chidren. Sad way to run a government. I put the over-under before one of these "new" folks shoots himself in the foot by saying something stupid at 3 months.

How does shuffle the cabinet do anything?

There are many politicians waiting to become ministers. They have to shuffle the cabinet occasionally to reduce frustrations of them. Becoming a minister is a prize for them making them easier to be reelected in the next coming election. Is this a phenomenon only in Japan? Let me know. Thank you

I'm with Scipantheist - this is deckchairs on Titanic stuff as - like so many institutions in Japan -the govt. is incapable of managing and delivering real change.

obuchi was initially tagged as being the next secretary general, basically the #2 honcho in the LDP, but either she balked or abe couldn't get the backing of his party for her to assume the post. it would have been the first time a woman held such a high post in any party.

that being said, it's all smoke and mirrors. changing the ministers will do nothing for the economy, which is the concern of everyone living in japan.

with precious few exceptions, premiers have tended to last little more than a year

Where can I apply for one, will click "YES" on everything you say.

Obuchi not like other LDP members who say, “yes, yes”. She refused to sign some papers twice and she lost chances. Not only that, she used to work for TBS and she became a politician after her father past away. She was so good that she became Japan's first youngest female minister. Her father was PM. Abe needs total 9 female ministers for his promise of % of Female mgrs but 5 is about he can select as not all female politicians are as unique as Obuchi and her agenda protecting women in Japan.

Its a shame they all don't shuffle out the door.

eeeny-meeny-mineey mo...

Ok. Aso will be the Defense Minister, Suga will replace him as Finance minister... And we'll move some of these back benchers over here over there so they can play too and so they won't get bored and upset my little politcal applecart...

Which is what its all about...throwing old dogs a bone so they don't start chewing on the furniture...

He's really trying to leave his mark. Indeed, a stable political system is a gauge for a healthy economy. Dito again for PM Abe.

You're wrong, Rickyvee - the Socialists have had at least two female leaders, Mizuho Fukushima and Takako Doi.

Seems to me like he's trying to pass the blame for his failures to his current cabinet. A tool blaming other tools.