Second Abe Cabinet
The Second Abe Cabinet governed Japan under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe from December 2012 to December 2014. Following the return to power of the LDP in the 2012 general election, Abe, as party president, was elected Prime Minister by the National Diet on December 26, 2012, and presented his cabinet for swearing in by the Emperor later that day. Abe formed a coalition with the New Komeito Party, which has partnered with the LDP since the late 1990s, appointing former leader Akihiro Ota as Minister of Land. Together the two parties controlled a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, allowing the new government in most matters to override the veto of the upper house which was controlled by the opposition parties until July 2013.[1][2]
| Second Abe Cabinet | |
|---|---|
 96th Cabinet of Japan | |
 Prime Minister Shinzō Abe (front row, centre) with his new cabinet inside the Kantei, December 26, 2012 | |
| Date formed | December 26, 2012 |
| Date dissolved | December 24, 2014 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | Emperor Akihito |
| Head of government | Shinzō Abe |
| Deputy head of government | Tarō Asō |
| Member party | Liberal Democratic–New Komeito Coalition |
| Status in legislature | Divided Diet (Until 2013) HoR: Coalition supermajority HoC: Coalition minority (Before 2013), majority (After 2013) |
| Opposition party | Democratic Party of Japan |
| Opposition leader | Banri Kaieda |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 2012 general election 2013 councillors election |
| Predecessor | Noda Cabinet |
| Successor | Third Abe Cabinet |
This cabinet was the most stable in post-war Japanese history, with no ministerial changes for 617 days until Abe conducted a reshuffle on September 3, 2014. The core ministers for Finance, Foreign Affairs, Economic Revival, Education, Land and the Chief Cabinet Secretary were all kept in post. In addition, Abe promoted 3 women to cabinet, matching the Koizumi cabinet's record of 5 women ministers.[3]
Following the 2014 general election the Second Abe cabinet was dissolved on December 24, 2014, and replaced with the Third Abe cabinet.
Election of the Prime Minister
| House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Choice | Vote | ||
| Parties | Votes | ||
 Shinzō Abe |
LDP (294), NKP (31), Independents (3) | 328 / 480 | |
| Banri Kaieda | DPJ (57) | 57 / 480 | |
| Shintaro Ishihara | JRP (54) | 54 / 480 | |
| Yoshimi Watanabe | YP (18) | 18 / 480 | |
| Kazuo Shii | Communist (8) | 8 / 480 | |
| Yuko Mori | PLP (7) | 7 / 480 | |
| Mizuho Fukushima | SDP (2) | 2 / 480 | |
| Shozaburo Jimi | PNP (1) | 1 / 480 | |
| Abstentions | Independents (2) | 2 / 480 | |
| Source: 182nd Diet, December 26 House of Representatives plenary session | |||
| Designation of a prime minister[4][5] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | First round | Runoff |
| Shinzō Abe | 107 | 107 |
| Banri Kaieda | 87 | 96 |
| Yoshimi Watanabe | 11 | – |
| Yūko Mori | 8 | – |
| Kazuo Shii | 6 | – |
| Mizuho Fukushima | 5 | – |
| Shōzaburō Jimi | 3 | – |
| Shintarō Ishihara | 3 | – |
| Shizuka Kamei | 1 | – |
| Invalid votes | 0 | 1 |
| Blank ballots | 3 | 30 |
| Total votes cast | 234 (→majority at 118) | 234 |
Lists of Ministers
Liberal Democratic
New Komeito
R = Member of the House of Representatives
C = Member of the House of Councillors
Cabinet
| Portfolio | Minister | Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Shinzō Abe | R | December 26, 2012 – Present | ||
| Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Finance Minister of State for Financial Services Minister in charge of Overcoming Deflation and Countering Yen Appreciation |
Tarō Asō | R | December 26, 2012 – Present | ||
| Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Minister of State for Decentralization Reform Minister in charge of Regional Revitalization Minister in charge of Regional Government |
Yoshitaka Shindō | R | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Minister of Justice | Sadakazu Tanigaki | R | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Fumio Kishida | R | December 26, 2012 – August 3, 2017 | ||
| Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister in charge of Education Rebuilding Minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games |
Hakubun Shimomura | R | December 26, 2012 – October 7, 2015 | ||
| Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare | Norihisa Tamura | R | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Yoshimasa Hayashi | C | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minister of State for the Nuclear Damage Compensation Facilitation Corporation Minister in charge of the Response to the Economic Impact caused by the Nuclear Accident Minister in charge of Industrial Competitiveness |
Toshimitsu Motegi | R | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | Akihiro Ota | R | December 26, 2012 – October 7, 2015 | ||
| Minister of the Environment Minister of State for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness |
Nobuteru Ishihara | R | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Minister of Defence | Itsunori Onodera | R | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Chief Cabinet Secretary Minister in charge of Strengthening National Security |
Yoshihide Suga | R | December 26, 2012 – Present | ||
| Minister of Reconstruction Minister in charge of Comprehensive Policy Coordination for Revival from the Nuclear Accident at Fukushima |
Takumi Nemoto | R | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Minister in charge of the Abduction Issue Minister in charge of Building National Resilience Minister of State for Disaster Management |
Keiji Furuya | R | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Minister of State for Space Policy Minister in charge of Information Technology Policy Minister in charge of Ocean Policy and Territorial Issues |
Ichita Yamamoto | C | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Minister in charge of Support for Women's Empowerment and Child-Rearing Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate Minister of State for Gender Equality |
Masako Mori | C | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
| Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization Minister in charge of Total Reform of Social Security and Tax Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy |
Akira Amari | R | December 26, 2012 – January 28, 2016 | ||
| Minister in charge of Administrative Reform Minister in charge of Civil Service Reform Minister in charge of "Cool Japan" Strategy Minister in charge of "Challenge Again" Initiative Minister of State for Regulatory Reform |
Tomomi Inada | R | December 26, 2012 – September 3, 2014 | ||
Reshuffled Cabinet
PM Abe with his reshuffled cabinet inside the Kantei, September 3, 2014.
| Portfolio | Minister | Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Shinzō Abe | R | December 26, 2012 – Present | ||
| Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Finance Minister of State for Financial Services Minister in charge of Overcoming Deflation |
Tarō Asō | R | December 26, 2012 – Present | ||
| Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications | Sanae Takaichi | R | September 3, 2014 – August 3, 2017 | ||
| Minister of Justice | Midori Matsushima | R | September 3, 2014 – October 20, 2014 | ||
| Yōko Kamikawa | R | October 20, 2014 – October 7, 2015 | |||
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Fumio Kishida | R | December 26, 2012 – August 3, 2017 | ||
| Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister in charge of Education Rebuilding Minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games |
Hakubun Shimomura | R | December 26, 2012 – October 7, 2015 | ||
| Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare | Yasuhisa Shiozaki | R | September 3, 2014 – August 3, 2017 | ||
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Koya Nishikawa | R | September 3, 2014 – February 23, 2015 | ||
| Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minister in charge of Industrial Competitiveness Minister in charge of the Response to the Economic Impact caused by the Nuclear Accident Minister of State for the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation |
Yūko Obuchi | R | September 3, 2014 – October 20, 2014 | ||
| Yoichi Miyazawa | C | October 20, 2014 – October 7, 2015 | |||
| Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister in charge of Water Cycle Policy |
Akihiro Ota | R | December 26, 2012 – October 7, 2015 | ||
| Minister of the Environment Minister of State for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness |
Yoshio Mochizuki | R | September 3, 2014 – October 7, 2015 | ||
| Minister of Defence Minister in charge of Security Legislation |
Akinori Eto | R | September 3, 2014 – December 24, 2014 | ||
| Chief Cabinet Secretary Minister in charge of Alleviating the Burden of the Bases in Okinawa |
Yoshihide Suga | R | December 26, 2012 – Present | ||
| Minister of Reconstruction Minister in charge of Comprehensive Policy Coordination for Revival from the Nuclear Accident at Fukushima |
Wataru Takeshita | R | September 3, 2014 – October 7, 2015 | ||
| Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Minister in charge of the Abduction Issue Minister in charge of Ocean Policy and Territorial Issues Minister in charge of Building National Resilience Minister of State for Disaster Management |
Eriko Yamatani | C | September 3, 2014 – October 7, 2015 | ||
| Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Minister of State for Space Policy Minister in charge of Information Technology Policy Minister in charge of "Challenge Again" Initiative Minister in charge of "Cool Japan" Strategy |
Shunichi Yamaguchi | R | September 3, 2014 – October 7, 2015 | ||
| Minister in charge of Support for Women's Empowerment Minister in charge of Administrative Reform Minister in charge of Civil Service Reform Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety Minister of State for Regulatory Reform Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate Minister of State for Gender Equality |
Haruko Arimura | C | September 3, 2014 – October 7, 2015 | ||
| Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization Minister in charge of Total Reform of Social Security and Tax Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy |
Akira Amari | R | December 26, 2012 – January 28, 2016 | ||
| Minister in charge of Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy in Japan Minister of State for the National Strategic Special Zones |
Shigeru Ishiba | R | September 3, 2014 – August 3, 2016 | ||
Changes
- On October 20 Justice Minister Midori Matsushima and Economy Minister Yūko Obuchi both resigned due to campaign finance scandals, and were replaced with Yōko Kamikawa and Yoichi Miyazawa respectively. This reduced the number of women in cabinet to 4.[6]
References
- New York Times, "Ex-Premier Is Chosen to Govern Japan Again," 26 December 2012
- "BBC News - Japan's Shinzo Abe unveils cabinet after voted in as PM". BBC News. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- "Abe keeps core intact in Cabinet shake-up". Japan Times. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- Reuters, December 26, 2012: 安倍自民総裁を新首相に選出、26日中に新内閣発足へ 首相再登板は64年ぶり
- House of Councillors, Plenary session voting results by Diet (from 142nd onwards), 182nd Diet: PM designation first round result, runoff result
- "Abe Cabinet Rocked by Double Resignation". Nippon.com. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
External links
Pages at the Kantei (English website):
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