After their first Cabinet Meeting, Prime Minister Mori and new Cabinet members pose to be photographed on the stairs in the Kantei (Official Residence of the Prime Minister) (5 December 2000)


On the basis of Article 9 of the Cabinet Law, Prime Minister Mori designated the Ministers of State who shall perform temporarily the functions of the Prime Minister in case the Prime Minister is prevented from discharging his functions or the post of the Prime Minister is vacant. Their names and order of succession are as follows: 1) Minister Yasuo FUKUDA, 2) Minister Yohei KONO, 3) Minister Masahiko KOUMURA, 4) Minister Takeo HIRANUMA, and 5) Minister Hakuo YANAGISAWA.