Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (right) shakes hands with coalition partner New Komeito party leader Akihiro Ota prior to their talks at Fukuda's office in Tokyo. [Xinhua]

 

Besides, former LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Sadakazu Tanigaki was named land, infrastructure, transport and tourism minister.

The attestation ceremony for the new Cabinet will be held Saturday morning at the Imperial Palace.

Fukuda made clear his decision to reshuffle the Cabinet during a meeting earlier in the day with Akihiro Ota, leader of the LDP's minor coalition partner the New Komeito party.

The Cabinet reshuffle was the first for Fukuda since he took office and inherited most of the Cabinet last September from Shinzo Abe, who resigned out of physical reasons.

Prior to the Cabinet reshuffle, Fukuda change the leadership of the LDP in the afternoon. Former Foreign Minister Taro Aso was reappointed secretary general and No. 2 powerful of the party.

Japanese media said the choice of Aso, who is especially welcomed by the younger generation, was aimed at improving the popularity of the LDP.

Calls within the ruling coalition for Fukuda to form a Cabinet reflecting his own political stance have been mounting since earlier this month as the approval rating for the prime minister remained low around the dangerous level of 30 percent even after he successfully chaired the Group of Eight summit from July 7 to 9.

(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2008)