Member Profiles of the Abe Cabinet

Foreign Press Center/Japan

September 26, 2006

On September 26, 2006, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe formed his Cabinet, a coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito.  The profiles of the new Cabinet members are as follows:

Prime Minister
Abe, Shinzo (52) (LDP)
Five-term member of the House of Representatives from Yamaguchi-4; Chief Cabinet Secretary; LDP Secretary General; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (under Koizumi Cabinet and Mori Cabinet for three times); Director of the LDP Social Affairs Division; Director, House of Representatives Committee on Health and Welfare
Seikei University
Born September 21, 1954

Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications
Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services
Suga, Yoshihide (57) (LDP)
Four-term member of the House of Representatives from Kanagawa-2; Senior Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications; Chairman, LDP Diet Affairs Committee; Parliamentary Secretary of International Trade and Industry; Parliamentary Secretary of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Diet Affairs Committee; LDP Deputy Secretary-General
Hosei University
Born December 6, 1948

Minister of Justice
Nagase, Jinen (62) (LDP)
Six-term member of the House of Representatives from Toyama-1; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Chief Deputy Chairman, LDP Policy Research Council; Chief Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Health, Labour and Welfare; Senior Vice-Minister of Justice
University of Tokyo
Born October 3, 1943

Minister for Foreign Affairs
Aso, Taro (66) (LDP)
Nine-term member of the House of Representatives from Fukuoka-8; Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications; Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy; Minister of State, Economic Planning Agency; LDP Deputy Secretary-General
Gakushuin University
Born September 20, 1940

Minister of Finance
Omi, Koji (73) (LDP)
Eight-term member of the House of Representatives (proportional representation, Kita-Kanto block); Chairman, LDP Research Commission to Promote Research and Establish a Nation of Innovative Science and Technology; State Minister in Charge of Science and Technology Policy, and Issues of Okinawa and Northern Territories; LDP Acting Secretary-General; Director-General, Economic Planning Agency (State Minister); Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Finance; Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Finance
Hitotsubashi University
Born December 14, 1932

Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Ibuki, Bunmei (68) (LDP)
Eight-term member of the House of Representatives from Kyoto-1; Labour Minister; Chairman of National Public Safety Commission, Minister of State for Disaster Management, Minister of State for National Emergency Legislation; Deputy Chairman of the LDP Research Commission on the Tax System
Kyoto University
Born on January 9, 1938

Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
Yanagisawa, Hakuo (71) (LDP)
Eight-term member of the House of Representatives from Shizuoka-3; State Minister for Financial Services; Director-General (State Minister) of National Land Agency; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs; Acting Chairman, LDP Policy Research Council
University of Tokyo
Born August 18, 1935

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Matsuoka, Toshikatsu (61) (LDP)
Six-term member of the House of Representatives from Kumamoto-3; Senior Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Director, House of Representatives Committee on Budget; Director, House of Representatives Special Committee on Privatization of the Postal Services; Deputy Chairman, LDP Diet Affairs Committee
Tottori University
Born February 25, 1945 

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
Amari, Akira (57) (LDP)
Eight-term member of the House of Representatives from Kanagawa-13; Labour Minister; Acting Chairman, LDP Policy Research Council; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Budget; Parliamentary Vice-Minister of International Trade and Industry
Keio University
Born August 27, 1949

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Fuyushiba, Tetsuzo (70) (New Komeito)
Seven-term member of the House of Representatives from Hyogo-8; New Komeito General Secretary; Member, House of Representatives Committee on the Fundamental National Policies; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Home Affairs; Advisor, New Komeito General Policy Research Council
Kansai University
Born June 29, 1936

Minister of the Environment
Minister in Charge of Global Environmental Problems
Wakabayashi, Masatoshi (72) (LDP)
Two-term member of the House of Councillors from Nagano; Three-term member of the House of Representatives from Nagano-1; Chairman, House of Councillors LDP Policy Board; Chief Director, House of Councillors Committee on Budget; Director, House of Councillors Deliberative Council on Political Ethics; Senior Vice-Minister of Finance
University of Tokyo
Born July 4, 1934

Chief Cabinet Secretary
State Minister in Charge of Abduction Issues
Shiozaki, Yasuhisa (55) (LDP)　
Four-term member of the House of Representatives from Ehime-1; One-term Member of the House of Councillors; Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs; Chairman, House of Representatives Standing Committee on Judicial Affairs; Deputy Chairman, LDP Policy Research Council; Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Finance
Harvard University
Born November 7, 1950

Minister of State, Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission
Minister of State for Disaster Management
Mizote, Kensei (64) (LDP)
Three-term member of the House of Councillors from Hiroshima; Chairman, House of Councillors Standing Committee on Rules and Administration; Director, House of Councillors Standing Committee on Rules and Administration; LDP Deputy Secretary-General; Deputy Chairman, LDP Diet Affairs Committee; Mayor, Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture
University of Tokyo
Born September 13, 1942

Minister of State for Defense
Kyuma, Fumio (65) (LDP)
Nine-term member of the House of Representatives from Nagasaki-2; Chairman, LDP General Council; State Minister for Defense; Chief Director, House of Representatives Special Committee on Responses to Armed Attacks
University of Tokyo
Born December 4, 1940

Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
Minister of State for Innovation
Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs
Minister of State for Food Safety
Takaichi, Sanae (45) (LDP)
Four-term member of the House of Representatives from Nara-2; Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; Parliamentary Vice-Minister of International Trade and Industry; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Kobe University
Born March 7, 1961

Minister of State for Financial Services
Yamamoto, Yuji (54) (LDP)
Six-term member of the House of Representatives from Kochi-3; Chairman, Federation of Kochi Prefecture LDP Branches; Director, House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Administration; Senior Vice Minister of Finance; Deputy-Secretary General, LDP
Waseda University
Born May 11, 1952

Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
Ota, Hiroko (52) (Private Sector)
Director General for Economic Research, Cabinet Office; Deputy Director General for Economic Research; Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies; Associate Professor, Saitama University
Hitotsubashi University
Born February 2, 1954

Minister of State for Regulatory Reform
Watanabe, Yoshimi (54) (LDP)
Four-term member of the House of Representatives from Tochigi-3; Senior Vice-Minister, Cabinet Office; Manager, Research Commission on the Tax System, LDP; Acting Director General, International Bureau, LDP; Acting Chairman, Public Relations Headquarters, LDP;
Chuo University, Waseda University
Born March 17, 1952