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First Koizumi Cabinet

The First Koizumi Cabinet governed Japan from April 2001 until November 2003 under the leadership of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who came to power after winning a surprise victory in the LDP presidential election of 2001.[1] The cabinet continued the LDP-Komeito-NCP coalition and contained a record number of 5 women, including Makiko Tanaka as the first female Foreign Minister. Several ministers from the previous Mori Administration remained in office to ensure the continuity and stability of government.[2] Unusually for an LDP leader, Koizumi chose his cabinet himself and personally asked ministers to join the government, unlike previous practice where party factional leaders often chose government posts.[3]

Koizumi administration

Koizumi took office at a time of prolonged economic difficulties for Japan after the first "Lost Decade", including a banking sector affected by "bad loans". His policies promised bold structural reforms to economic, administrative and social policy using the slogans "reform with no sacred areas" and "without structural reforms there can be no economic recovery", explaining that he expected the country to endure short-term hardship, including higher unemployment, to make longer-term economic gains.[4][5][6][7] Despite these promises of initial economic difficulties, the Koizumi cabinet enjoyed record popularity during its first year (reaching 90 percent in some polls), and the LDP gained several seats in the June 2001 upper house elections.[8][9]

Koizumi's popularity declined significantly in early 2002 after he sacked Tanaka for disloyalty and for feuding with bureaucrats, and a series of scandals relating to the agriculture and foreign ministries came to light.[10][11] In response, Koizumi ordered a quickening of the pace in terms of structural reform plans and made a highly publicised visit to North Korea in the autumn to discuss abducted Japanese citizens, which led to a recovery in his poll ratings.[12][13][14][15] The first cabinet reshuffle then took place in September 2002 and did not bring about any major personnel changes, but did remove Financial Services Minister Hakuo Yanagisawa, who Koizumi felt was too timid on economic reform.[16]

The second cabinet reshuffle took place in September 2003, following Koizumi's re-election as LDP leader by a large margin, and involved substantial changes including the promotion of the reformist Sadakazu Tanigaki to Finance Minister. Despite this, the key figures of Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda and Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Heizō Takenaka were kept in post.[17][18] Koizumi then dissolved the Diet and called general elections in November 2003, which returned his coalition to office and led to the formation of the Second Koizumi Cabinet.[19][20] The first Koizumi cabinet was the last to include the New Conservative Party as a coalition partner, which had declined in strength since its founding in April 2000 and finally merged with the LDP at Koizumi's suggestion after the 2003 election.[21]

Election of the prime minister

Lists of ministers

  Liberal Democratic
  New Komeito
  New Conservative
  Independent
R = Member of the House of Representatives
C = Member of the House of Councillors

Cabinet

Changes

First reshuffled cabinet

Changes

Second reshuffled cabinet

Changes

References

  1. ^ Sims, Calvin (24 April 2001). "CHALLENGER WINS PARTY PRESIDENCY IN JAPANESE VOTE". New York Times. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ "New Japan cabinet causes stir". BBC News. 26 April 2001. Archived from the original on 16 February 2003. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ MAGNIER, Mark (28 April 2001). "A Win for (Hair) Style, Substance". LA Times. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ Anderson, Gregory E. (2004). "LIONHEART OR PAPER TIGER? A FIRST-TERM KOIZUMI RETROSPECTIVE" (PDF). Asian Perspective. 28: 149–182. doi:10.1353/apr.2004.0037. Archived from the original on 19 February 2006. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ Otsuma, Mayumi (7 May 2001). "Koizumi Vows to Avoid Borrowing in Cutting Debt". LA Times. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ "Policy Speech By Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi". Kantei. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ "New Japan cabinet causes stir". BBC News. 26 April 2001. Archived from the original on 16 February 2003. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ Frew McMillan, Alex (21 June 2001). "Koizumi's popularity hits fresh peak". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 April 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ "Premier's Party Gains Seats in Tokyo Vote". LA Times. 25 June 2001. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ Hanson, Richard (5 April 2002). "Koizumi's woes bloom as cherry blossoms wither". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 1 November 2002. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ Brooke, James (30 January 2002). "Japan's Foreign Minister Is Fired After Months of Feuding". New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ^ "All work and no play". The Economist. 25 July 2002. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ^ "Koizumi's Korean gamble". BBC News. 30 August 2002. Archived from the original on 15 February 2004. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. ^ Watts, Jonathan (17 September 2002). "North Korea apologises to Japan for bizarre tale of kidnap and intrigue". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. ^ Uchiyama, Yu. Koizumi and Japanese Politics. pp. 170–171.
  16. ^ "Japan's prime minister fires economic adviser". Columbia Daily Tribune. 30 September 2002. Archived from the original on 23 October 2005. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ^ "Koizumi defeats party rivals". BBC News. 20 September 2003. Archived from the original on 6 June 2004. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^ "Japan reshuffle targets economy". BBC News. 22 September 2003. Archived from the original on 6 June 2004. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. ^ "Japan's Prime Minister Calls Elections, Sets Nov. 9 as Date". LA Times. 10 October 2003. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  20. ^ "Koizumi wins second term". CNN. 19 November 2003. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  21. ^ Yoshida, Reiji (11 November 2003). "NCP to disband, merge with LDP". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  22. ^ Brooke, James (30 January 2002). "Japan's Foreign Minister Is Fired After Months of Feuding". New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ^ Yoshida, Reiji (11 November 2003). "NCP to disband, merge with LDP". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  24. ^ "Japan minister quits over scandal". BBC News. 31 March 2003. Archived from the original on 17 April 2003. Retrieved 10 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  25. ^ Yoshida, Reiji (11 November 2003). "NCP to disband, merge with LDP". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

External links

Pages at the Kantei (English website):