Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� September, 2003

Inauguration of the Second Reshuffled Cabinet Monday, September 22, 2003 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reshuffled his Cabinet for the second time since the inauguration of his administration. The following nine new members were appointed to the Cabinet: Mr. Taro Aso as Minister for Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, Mr. Daizo Nozawa as Minister of Justice, Mr. Takeo Kawamura as Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and National Diet Library Liaison and Coordination Committee Member, Mr. Shoichi Nakagawa as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and International Expositions related matters, Ms. Yuriko Koike as Minister of the Environment, and Global Environment Issues related matters, Ms. Kiyoko Ono as Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission and Minister of State (Cultivation of Youth and Measures for Decreasing Birthrate, Food Safety), Mr. Toshimitsu Motegi as Minister of State (Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, Protection of Personal Information, Science and Technology Policy, Information Technology), Mr. Kazuyoshi Kaneko as Minister of State (Regulatory Reform, Industrial Revitalization Corporation, Administrative Reform, Special Zones for Structural Reform), and Mr. Kiichi Inoue as Minister of State (Disaster Management, National Emergency Legislation). Mr. Sadakazu Tanigaki and Mr. Nobuteru Ishihara were shifted sideways within the Cabinet as Minister of Finance, and Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Transfer of the Capital and Creation of Nation Based on Tourism related matters, respectively. At a press conference on the same evening after the first Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "Signs of brightness are now presenting themselves in the Japanese economy at last. It is my intention to promote reforms that will lead such bright signs to actual sustainable economic growth led by the private sector," and expressed his determination to continue promoting his policy for structural reform.