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Aso Cabinet (Formed September 24, 2008)

PRIME MINISTER

Taro Aso

PRIME MINISTER Taro Aso

Taro Aso, born in Iizuka, Fukuoka, in 1940, first entered politics in 1979, when he was elected to the Lower House. During his career, he has served as state minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, foreign minister, minister of internal affairs and communications and twice as LDP secretary general.

Hailing from a wealthy Kyushuu family of political and corporate leaders, he is the grandson of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida and wife is the daughter of the late former Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki. His younger sister is married to Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, one of Emperor Akihito's cousins.

Aso graduated from Gakushuin University and has also studied at Stanford University and the London School of Economics.

In the foreign policy arena, Aso has maintained a hawkish stance, which has included support for the deployment of the Self-Defense Forces overseas. However, unlike his conservative peers, Aso has recently shunned visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine.

Aso has put priority on spending and tax cuts to stimulate the economy.

An avid reader and supporter of manga, Aso has attracting a strong following among young Japanese.

Aso failed three times in the past to become prime minister, losing the LDP presidential race to Junichiro Koizumi in 2001, Shinzo Abe in 2006 and Yasuo Fukuda in 2007.


 

Subsequent changes

MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS Kunio Hatoyama

MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS

Kunio Hatoyama

JUSTICE MINISTER Eisuke Mori

JUSTICE MINISTER

Eisuke Mori

FOREIGN MINISTER Hirofumi Nakasone

FOREIGN MINISTER

Hirofumi Nakasone

MINISTER OF EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORTS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Ryu Shionoya

MINISTER OF EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORTS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Ryu Shionoya

MINISTER OF HEALTH, LABOR AND WELFARE Yoichi Masuzoe

MINISTER OF HEALTH, LABOR AND WELFARE

Yoichi Masuzoe

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES Shigeru Ishiba

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

Shigeru Ishiba

MINISTER OF ECONOMY, TRADE AND INDUSTRY Toshihiro Nikai

MINISTER OF ECONOMY, TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Toshihiro Nikai

MINISTER OF LAND, INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND TOURISM Kazuyoshi Kaneko

MINISTER OF LAND, INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND TOURISM

Kazuyoshi Kaneko

ENVIRONMENT MINISTER Tetsuo Saito

ENVIRONMENT MINISTER

Tetsuo Saito

DEFENSE MINISTER Yasukazu Hamada

DEFENSE MINISTER

Yasukazu Hamada

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY Takeo Kawamura

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY

Takeo Kawamura

NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN, STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF OKINAWA AND AFFAIRS RELATED TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES Tsutomu Sato

NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN, STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF OKINAWA AND AFFAIRS RELATED TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES

Tsutomu Sato

FINANCE MINISTER AND STATE MINISTER FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES
STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF ECONOMIC AND FISCAL POLICY Kaoru Yosano

FINANCE MINISTER AND STATE MINISTER FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF ECONOMIC AND FISCAL POLICY

Kaoru Yosano

STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS Akira Amari

STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS

Akira Amari

STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS Seiko Noda

STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS

Seiko Noda

STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF POPULATION AND GENDER EQUALITY Yuko Obuchi

STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF POPULATION AND GENDER EQUALITY

Yuko Obuchi