Geopolitically speaking, it was the nomination of Mr. Abe’s hawkish ally, Mrs. Tomomi Inada (who is now the Chairwoman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party and who shares Prime Minister Abe’s goal of revising the post-war pacifist Japanese constitution), which some conservatives consider as a humiliating symbol of Japan’s defeat in World War II that will play its role over time.
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In the cabinet revamp announced by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Abe left most key posts untouched.
Inada, a lawyer-turned-lawmaker, is a regular at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, which honors war dead including convicted war criminals, a gesture seen by neighbors as an endorsement of Japan’s militaristic past.
Known for her hawkish views on foreign policies and national security, Inada’s appointment is likely to raise eyebrows in China and South Korea.
The comments were an apparent critique of the Asian giant’s reinforcement of reefs and rocks in the South China Sea claimed not just by Beijing but also several Southeast Asian countries.
Her first litmus test will occur in less than two weeks-on August 15, the anniversary of Japan’s 1945 surrender in World War II.
She becomes the second woman to helm the defence portfolio, following the newly elected Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, 64, who took charge briefly in 2007.
Asked after her appointment yesterday if she will do so again this Aug 15, the 71st anniversary of Japan’s surrender, Ms Inada said the Yasukuni issue is a “matter of the heart”.
Japanese media said another would-be successor, Shigeru Ishiba, minister for regional revitalization, was considering declining to stay in order to prepare for a run at Japan’s top job when Abe’s LDP leadership term expires in September 2018.
Former ruling party executive Tomomi Inada will replace Gen Nakatani as defense minister.
Inada, 57, is a supporter of Abe’s long-cherished hope to revise Japan’s Constitution. She has said parts of the war-renouncing Article 9 should be scrapped, arguing that they could be interpreted as banning Japan’s military.
Earlier in the day, North Korea fired a ballistic missile, which landed in the waters of Japan’s exclusive economic zone off Akita Prefecture for the first time. A party rival also quit his ministerial post in what’s seen as a move to gather support to lead a post-Abe administration.
Relations between the two nations have been hampered by the 2012 dispute over sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, as well as China’s increasing assertiveness concerning its maritime interests. “I believe she will employ a practical policy”, said Bonji Ohara, a research fellow at the Tokyo Foundation think-tank.
Japanese government on Tuesday approved a package of measures, amounting to over 28 trillion yen (about $275 billion at the current exchange rates), to stimulate the country’s economy.
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Tamayo Marukawa, the environment minister in the previous cabinet, was appointed minister to oversee preparations for Tokyo’s 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
