Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > September, 2005

Inauguration of the Third Koizumi Cabinet Wednesday, September 21, 2005 JAPANESE Click photographs to enlarge All Cabinet members temporarily resigned at the extraordinary Cabinet meeting held in the morning. At the 163rd special Diet session in the afternoon, Mr. Junichiro Koizumi, the President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was elected as the 89th Prime Minister of Japan during the plenary session of both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. After his appointment by the Diet, Prime Minister Koizumi held a press conference at the Prime Minister's Official Residence where he expressed his resolution that, "Till now I have advanced reform with the support of many people. I interpret the results of this snap election as the voice of the people telling me to 'continue advancing structural reform.' I intend to firmly advance structural reform without stopping the reforms, backed by the support and cooperation of many people, and I ask for your understanding in this regard." Prime Minister Koizumi then was appointed the 89th Prime Minister of Japan (the 56th person) since Hirobumi Ito at the investiture of the Prime Minister and attestation ceremony at the Imperial Palace. Furthermore, Prime Minister Koizumi reappointed all the ministers of the Cabinet reshuffled in September 2004 and formed the Third Koizumi Cabinet. The ministers then took a commemorative photograph after their first Cabinet meeting. Related link: List of Ministers View Video (Available only in Japanese) Real(Narrowband) / Real(Broadband) Windows Media(Narrowband) / Windows Media(Broadband)