Naruhito
76-460: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Second Kishida Cabinet was the 101st Cabinet of Japan and was formed in November 2021 by Fumio Kishida , leader of the Liberal Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Japan . The government was a coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito and controlled both the upper and lower houses of the National Diet . It was the successor to Kishida's previous cabinet . On October 1, 2024,
152-553: A Liberal Democratic – Komeito coalition cabinet ( minority government ) since 2024 . The prime minister is nominated by the National Diet, while the remaining ministers are appointed and dismissed by the prime minister. The Cabinet is collectively responsible to the National Diet and must resign if a motion of no confidence is adopted by the National Diet. Under the Constitution of Japan , Cabinet ministers are appointed after
228-612: A backbencher in the Diet. On 8 July 2022, former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in Nara , two days before elections for the House of Councilors . While not politically motivated, the killing shocked many in Japan. Kono said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the assassination. He further stated it was an honor to have served under Abe, who he referred to as
304-555: A "great leader." Kono also promised to "carry out his last wishes and do my utmost to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific ." The assassination of Abe revealed ties between the LDP and the Unification Church, a South Korean new religious movement. The suspect in the killing, Tetsuya Yamagami , said he was motivated by a grudge against the Church and Abe's friendly relationship with it. In
380-582: A "security threat" for the first time. Addressing the Center for Strategic and International Studies , in Washington D.C. , he stated “When I was foreign minister, I was very careful not to say that China is a threat although I repeatedly said ‘grave concern’ at news conferences. But as defense minister, I must say China has become a security threat to Japan.” Shinzo Abe announced during a press conference on 28 August 2020 that he would resign as Prime Minister, due to
456-468: A Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service in 1983. After working in the private sector for more than a decade, Kono was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 . In his career in the House, Kono served on various committees before running in the 2009 LDP leadership election ; after losing to Sadakazu Tanigaki , he became Deputy Secretary-General of the LDP. After two years in the opposition,
532-851: A cabinet minister before. Kishda retained Taro Kono and Sanae Takaichi in similar roles. Both had competed with Kishida for the LDP Presidency in 2021 . Citation of this table: List of Second Kishida Cabinet Members Pages at the Prime Minister's Official Residence of Japan (English website): Cabinet of Japan [REDACTED] Fumihito [REDACTED] Shigeru Ishiba ( LDP ) Second Ishiba Cabinet ( LDP – Komeito coalition ) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Fukushiro Nukaga Kōichirō Genba [REDACTED] Masakazu Sekiguchi Hiroyuki Nagahama Saburo Tokura Kazuo Ueda The Cabinet of Japan ( Japanese : 内閣 , Hepburn : Naikaku )
608-504: A reputation as a political maverick, with a tendency to hold positions on issues contrary to his party. Belonging to the conservative and centre-right Shikōkai faction, he is considered a centrist within the LDP, supporting same-sex marriage and more acceptance of immigrants into Japan. Kono also favors a strong national defense, strengthening alliances with the US and Canada , as well as pacific partners like Australia and South Korea , and
684-469: A reputation as an outspoken and sometimes "eccentric" politician. Foreign media reports considered Kono to be more dovish compared to Abe, and expected him to take a softer diplomatic approach to foreign policy. Many analysts were particularly optimistic that Kono would adopt his father's friendly attitude toward China. Later that month, Kono visited the United States where he called for ratification of
760-517: A response to the local criticism of ties between Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Unification Church (UC), following the assassination of the former prime minister, Shinzo Abe , on 8 July 2022. The suspected shooter, Tetsuya Yamagami , revealed that his mother went bankrupt for donating most of the family's wealth and assets to the UC. Although the suspect originally planned to target
836-453: A state funeral for Abe on 27 September were also divided. According to a poll conducted by NHK from 5 to 7 August, the approval rating of Kishida's previous cabinet was 46%, down by 13% from a similar poll taken three weeks prior. Also 82% of respondents were not satisfied by the lawmakers' explanations of their ties to the UC. Kishida stressed that the new cabinet would have all members closely examined with regard to their relationship with
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#1732868602100912-521: A supplier of electric components for Toyota , General Motors , Panasonic , and other companies. Kono was first elected to the House of Representatives of Japan as a Liberal Democratic member in the October 1996 general election , at age 33. He won a closely contested election in the newly created Kanagawa 15th district covering the cities of Hiratsuka and Chigasaki , adjacent to his father's constituency in
988-527: A vaccine supply contract with the Japanese government. By the end of his term, nearly 70% of Japan's population received at least one dose of the vaccine. By August 2021, Suga was facing low approval rating was dropping rapidly, dropping to as low as 28%. On 3 September 2021, Suga, who had initially announced plans to run for a second term as LDP President in July, announced that he would not seek re-election as head of
1064-504: Is a proponent of the concept of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific . He is also known for his large following on social media and his fluency in English . Kono has long been speculated as a potential future prime minister, running for party leadership three times. Taro Kono was born on 10 January 1963, in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa , the oldest of the three children of Yōhei Kōno , a former President of
1140-509: Is the chief executive body of the government of Japan . It consists of the prime minister , who is appointed by the Emperor after being nominated by the National Diet , in addition to up to nineteen other members, called ministers of state . The current cabinet is Second Ishiba Cabinet , which was formed on 11 November 2024, is led by the prime minister Shigeru Ishiba . The country has had
1216-532: The Aegis Ashore deployment process, and on the following day, 25 June, it was announced that the National Security Council had officially decided to abandon the deployment at its on June 24. Kono attributed the cancellation of the deployment to cost and technical issues. The US Department of Defense stated the system would cost 200 billion yen ($ 1.89 billion) and take 12 years to fix a problem with
1292-538: The COVID-19 vaccine . Kono was responsible for coordinating with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and other relevant government agencies, as well as pharmaceutical companies, medical associations, pharmaceutical wholesalers, and logistics companies. He became known as Japan's "Vaccine Czar " during his tenure, a name he embraced when facing questions in the Diet. Kono announced on 20 January that Pfizer had agreed to
1368-744: The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which the US has not yet ratified. As foreign minister, Kono was responsible for coordinating Japan's response to the North Korean crisis . He publicly urged countries to cut diplomatic and economic ties with North Korea following the announcement of enhanced sanctions by the US government in September 2017. Kono also reportedly pressed Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif to increase Iranian pressure on North Korea. Kono's father publicly criticized
1444-703: The Consumer Affairs Agency on 29 August. This committee initially elected 8 experts in the UC matter including former prosecutor Shiori Kanno and Masaki Kito , a lawyer representing the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales which has been providing legal aid for victims and reporting on the anti-social issues of the UC since 1987. The committee was scheduled to hold publicly-viewable weekly online meetings. All committee members offered suggestions for strengthening regulations or enacting preventive measures against spiritual sales. In December 2022
1520-473: The My Number card system, and has rolled out reforms for thousands of regulations in an effort to cut down on bureaucratic red tape . After Kishida resigned, he ran for party leadership for the third time in the 2024 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election , coming in eighth place. He subsequently resigned as Digital Affairs Minister and has since continued as a backbencher in the Diet. Kono has developed
1596-603: The Warsaw School of Economics , Poland , during which he spent a night in prison after visiting the home of Solidarity leader, Lech Wałęsa . Kono later said his visits abroad helped him see Japan "in an objective way". Kono graduated from Georgetown University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service and the following year he joined Fuji Xerox . He moved to Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific in Singapore in 1991. In 1993, he joined Nippon Tanshi [ ja ] (日本端子),
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#17328686021001672-478: The election. On economic policy, he said he would return to " fiscal austerity ." Kono also said he would ask lawmakers receiving kickbacks to return the money. The day after Kono’s press conference, Taro Aso told faction members that he would personally back Kono, but would allow members to support other candidates. On 6 September Kono stated that a Constitutional amendment concerning Article 9 should include "collective self-defense rights" beyond clearly stating
1748-454: The first time being in August 2022 in the wake of the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe , and the second in September 2023. The second reshuffle includes more women, while also keeping potential political rivals in key roles and positions. In total, eleven first time appointees were introduced in the cabinet. The cabinet includes five women, only one of which, Sanae Takaichi ,
1824-523: The 60th Anniversary of the U.S.–Japan Alliance on 14 January. The Defense Ministry launched a 'space defense unit' in May 2020. Kono said it was part of an effort to monitor and counter threats to the Japan's satellites. The Space Operations Squadron, part of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, was set to be in full operation by 2023. On 15 June 2020, the United States announced the suspension of
1900-487: The Administrative Reform Minister, organizing Japan's vaccine rollout in response to the COVID-19 pandemic . Suga supported Kono to replace him as party president in the 2021 LDP leadership election , losing to Fumio Kishida in a second round run-off. After spending less than a year in the backbenches, Kono was appointed Digital Affairs Minister by Kishida in 2022. In this role he has attempted to revive
1976-797: The Aegis booster rocket. Kono was reportedly upset with officials who had not learned of the flaws with the missile system sooner. In August 2020, Kono warned the Chinese government that the Japanese Self-Defense Force would respond to any intrusions on the disputed Senkaku Islands . Later that month, Kono oversaw an aerial inspection of the islands. After The Pentagon released videos pertaining to alleged UFO encounters, Kono unveiled an official protocol for encountering unidentified aerial phenomena in September 2020. During his last week as Defense Minister in September 2020, Kono described China as
2052-610: The Cabinet. Contrary to the practice in many constitutional monarchies , the Emperor is not even the nominal chief executive. Instead, the Constitution explicitly vests executive authority in the Cabinet. Hence, nearly all of the day-to-day work of governing is done by the Cabinet. In practice, much of the Cabinet's authority is exercised by the prime minister. Under the Constitution, the prime minister exercises "control and supervision" over
2128-462: The Constitution, Ministers of State are not subject to legal action without the consent of the prime minister during their tenure of office. The current cabinet, led by the newly appointed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba , and succeeded the First Ishiba Cabinet . Ishiba is currently in the process of forming his cabinet, following the 2024 General Election . As of 11 November 2024,
2204-640: The Economic Sanction Amendment to the Foreign Exchange Law, which gives the government power to unilaterally declare economic sanctions on any state; and the Port Closure Bill, which allows the government to refuse the entry of foreign ships from Japanese ports. His website states that " North Korea was the target." He also sponsored a United Nations Reform Bill that would have required the government to reduce its voluntary contributions to
2280-488: The Kanagawa 17th district ( Odawara and Hadano ). He has since been re-elected six times in 2000 , 2003 , 2005 , 2009 , 2012 and 2014 , respectively. His winning majority increased from 13,297 in 1996 to 63,058 in 2000, 71,968 in 2003, and 103,280 in 2005. The total number of votes he received in 2005 was 186,770, the second largest number in Japan's electoral history (second only to then Prime Minister Koizumi's total in
2356-649: The Kishida government announced a $ 320bn increase in military spending, due in part to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . As of 2023, Kishida has led four cabinets since the beginning of his premiership in October 2021. His first cabinet lasted just 38 days, and was formed following the resignation of former Prime Minister Yoshide Suga's cabinet . After receiving a mandate in the 2021 general election , Kishida formed his second cabinet in November 2021. He reshuffled it twice,
Second Kishida Cabinet - Misplaced Pages Continue
2432-811: The LDP in 2009 , but was defeated by Sadakazu Tanigaki . Kono replaced Hiroyuki Sonoda as Deputy Secretary-General of the LDP in April 2010, after Sonoda left the party to join the Sunrise Party of Japan . In October 2015, Kono joined the Third Abe Cabinet as Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission , Minister in charge of Administrative Reform, Minister in charge of Civil Service Reform, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Minister of State for Regulatory Reform and Minister of State for Disaster Management. In this role, he
2508-451: The LDP returned to power in the 2012 general election , while Kono remained a backbencher . In October 2015, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointed Kono Minister for Administrative Reform and Regulatory Reform, a position he served in for less than year before resigning amidst a cabinet reshuffle. Kono returned to government in 2017 as Foreign Minister under Abe. His tenure oversaw a trade dispute with South Korea and deepening of ties with
2584-558: The Liberal Democratic Party and Speaker of the House of Representatives . He was born into a family of politicians: his father, his grandfather Ichirō Kōno , and his great-uncle Kenzō Kōno (Speaker of the House of Councillors between 1971 and 1977), were all active in Japanese politics. Kono attended Hanamizu Elementary School, Keio Middle School, and then Keio Senior High School . In 1981, he entered Keio University to study economics but dropped out in order to study in
2660-632: The National Civil Service System. Shortly after his appointment, Kono attempted to revive the My Number identification card system, established in 2016. Reportedly, the Kishida government aimed to have almost all residents obtain the card by March 2023; Kono said that health insurance cards would be phased out in 2024, and instead be merged with the My Number cards. The program had to be temporarily paused in May 2023 due to 13 confirmed cases of another person's information being displayed when
2736-415: The UC, but media reported that at least 30 members in the reshuffled cabinet were still related to the UC to various degrees. One of the ministers who remained in office after this reshuffle, Daishiro Yamagiwa , received media scrutiny in particular for not disclosing his ties with the UC to the public before the reshuffle, as well as his ambiguous responses when being confronted by reporters about his ties to
2812-462: The UC. Kishida accepted Yamagiwa's resignation on 24 October 2022 as the minister following more evidences of Yamagiwa's ties to the UC surfaced and intense criticisms from the opposition parties in the parliament for his failure to remember his participation in events held by the UC and meetings with top UC officials, including the UC leader Hak Ja Han. After the cabinet reshuffle, a poll conducted from 20 to 21 August by Mainichi Shimbun showed that
2888-623: The UN Systems by 10 percent each year until changes were made in the membership of the Security Council. Kono resigned as head of the Kanagawa LDP following the 2007 local elections , in which the LDP-supported candidate Tadashi Sugino lost to incumbent Shigefumi Matsuzawa . He became head of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee in September 2008. Kono ran for President of
2964-515: The United States . After about two years in that role, Abe designated Kono as Minister of Defense in 2019. As Defense Minister, he presided over the cancellation of the Aegis Ashore missile defense system, a more tense relationship with China, and the strengthening of security partnerships with nations in the Indo-Pacific . After Abe resigned in 2020, he was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga who retained Kono in his cabinet. Kono returned to his prior role as
3040-586: The United States many times and made friends there. He has also had exchanges with American politicians. I'm sure he'll serve (as minister) with an understanding of how to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance". Prime Minister Abe has made it explicitly clear that by appointing Kono to the position of Foreign Minister, he was trying to strengthen the already formidable Japanese American alliance. Kono's appointment to Foreign Minister has also been well received by Japan's surrounding neighbors”. Some Foreign Ministry officials say
3116-463: The United States. In 1982, he went to the United States, where he attended Suffield Academy and Georgetown University , and studied comparative politics. In 1983, he worked for Senator Alan Cranston in his campaign for the Democratic Party presidential nomination . He also worked for then Representative Richard Shelby of Alabama (at the time a Democrat) for two years. He also spent time at
Second Kishida Cabinet - Misplaced Pages Continue
3192-405: The appointment of Kono will be viewed favorably by China and South Korea. Abe retained Kono again during his second reshuffle for his fourth cabinet. As the foreign minister at the time, he was considered a leading figure behind a trade dispute with South Korea although he was considered friendly with the country. He is also known as a leading figure of cancellation of Aegis ashore project. At
3268-429: The appointment of a new prime minister. While they are in office, legal action may not be taken against Cabinet ministers without the consent of the prime minister. The Cabinet must resign en masse in the following circumstances: The Cabinet exercises two kinds of power. Some of its powers are nominally exercised by the Emperor with the binding "advice and approval" of the Cabinet. Other powers are explicitly vested in
3344-404: The approval rating of the new cabinet dropped to 36% by 16%, with 64% of respondents viewing the ties to the UC as a very serious problem. Kishida promised to cut ties with the UC and help victims of manipulative sales by the UC. Taro Kono , the minister of digital affairs who was also given the special mission for consumer affairs and food safety, established a spiritual sales review committee in
3420-426: The cabinet resigned in a body. After Fumio Kishida called for a general election and won a supermajority on 31 October 2021, he was re-elected as the prime minister at a special session of the National Diet on 10 November 2021. As his first cabinet only served 37 days, the shortest term in history, Kishida reappointed nearly all of the ministers from the previous cabinet following re-election. On 10 August 2022,
3496-408: The cabinet was reshuffled . 7 MPs with ties to the Unification Church (UC) were dismissed following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and increasing media scrutiny of LDP officials' close ties with the church. On 20 August it was reported that 23 officials including 8 MPs in the new reshuffled cabinet have existing connections to the UC. The reshuffle was widely reported as
3572-424: The card was used. Mistakes attributed to human error that were made before Kono's tenure caused some 7,000 My Number accounts have been wrongly linked to other people’s data. In June 2023, a review of My Number data revealed that around 130,000 cards have been linked to the bank accounts of other people. Kono defended the system, and said he himself used a My Number card for his health insurance, but public trust in
3648-559: The election cycle. He stated that this was an attempt to protect himself from online abuse. The hashtag "Blocked by Mr. Kono" was trending as a result. On 29 September, Kono made it into the second round run off with Fumio Kishida , and lost with 170 votes to Kishida's 257 votes. Kishida subsequently appointed Kono to be the LDP's Public Relations chief on 1 October 2021 and resigned from the cabinet 3 days later, ending his tenure as Minister for Administrative Reform. After Kishida became party president and eventually prime minister, he led
3724-548: The end of his tenure in September 2019, Kono made over 100 visits to 59 countries. On 11 September 2019, Kono was appointed Minister of Defense by Abe, joining his Fourth Cabinet in its second reshuffle. In November 2019, Kono met with Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds , and consolidated a series of new measures designed to deepen the defense cooperation between both countries. Later that month, he visited an Indian Air Force Base in Hindan , Uttar Pradesh . His visit
3800-483: The executive branch, and no law or Cabinet order can take effect without the prime minister's countersignature (and the emperor's promulgation). While Cabinet Ministers in most other parliamentary democracies theoretically have some freedom of action (within the limits of cabinet collective responsibility ), the Japanese Cabinet is effectively an extension of the prime minister's authority. According to Article 75 of
3876-499: The first official visit from the Chinese counterpart since November 2009. The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited for several days during the leadup to Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe's visit to President Trump later that month. Kono was the first Japanese FM to host an official Chinese FM visit for nearly a decade, Kono's past business, as well as political ties to the United States, make him very appealing to serve as Foreign Minister. Abe said of Kono appointment, "He has been to
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#17328686021003952-667: The government in August 2023. By then, there were 940 cases involving errors in which bank accounts were linked to the wrong ID cards. The PIPC later stated that “systematic safety management measures needed to be improved”, and ordered Kono to report back on measures taken to improve the system by October 2023. The Diplomat reported in October that just 29% of people who have used the country’s digital government services were satisfied with them. In September 2023, Kishida reshuffled his second cabinet again, retaining Kono in his role as Digital Minister. In September 2022, Kono "declared war" on floppy disks, as part of his efforts to modernize
4028-418: The government's approach to the crisis, claiming that it should be more cooperative with the Chinese government. After the 2017 general election , which delivered a fresh majority for the LDP in the House of Representatives, Abe retained Kono as Foreign Minister in his fourth cabinet . Late in the evening of 15 April 2018 in the flurry of exchanges after the tripartite missile strikes on Syria, Kono received
4104-426: The government. He said updated regulations would allow business owners and others to use online services instead. On 28 June 2024, Kono declared victory in the "war", announcing that the government had finally phased them out, and would no longer require them as a form of documentation. Up to 1,034 regulations were scrapped as part of the effort, leaving only 1 that remains in effect. Kono has also aimed to phase out
4180-502: The leader of the UC, Hak Ja Han , he switched to Abe because he was unable to approach Han, and he considered Abe as one of the most influential supporters of the UC. The revelation renewed local interest in the allegedly long-standing relationship between the LDP and the UC since Abe's maternal grandfather Nobusuke Kishi 's tenure, as well as accusations against the UC's practices of collecting donations fraudulently, so-called " spiritual sales ". Public opinions on Kishida's decision to hold
4256-523: The makeup of the current Cabinet is as follows: Taro Kono Taro Kono ( 河野 太郎 , Kōno Tarō , born 10 January 1963) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister for Digital Transformation from 2022 to 2024. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party , he previously served as Minister for Administrative Reform and Regulatory Reform from 2015 to 2016 and from 2020 to 2021, and
4332-412: The party the victory in the 2021 general election , with the LDP winning 261 seats. Kono himself performed well in his Kanagawa constituency, receiving nearly 80% of the vote, setting a new record for the most votes received under the single-seat constituency system. After the election, Kishida formed his second cabinet in November 2021, in which Kono was not a member. During this interlude, Kono became
4408-541: The party. That same day, Kono announced his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic Party Presidency in the subsequent 2021 leadership election . Japanese media reported that Kono was Suga's first choice for a successor. However, according to journalist Kenji Goto, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso , who led Kono's faction in the Diet, did not support Kono's candidacy, viewing it as too early. He faced backlash for blocking his critics on Twitter during
4484-412: The position. Commentator Michael Bosack described this post as a "downgrade" and "tantamount to a demotion," citing Kono's ambition to become prime minister as well as poor coordination of decisions with the party. The day after he took office, Kono opened a suggestion box for administrative reform on his official website. Although he stated that he would "read everything" that was sent to him, he
4560-568: The project weakened. In July 2023, Kishida announced that the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) would conduct investigation into the Digital Agency, prompting Kono to apologize to the Diet. A report published found that 20% of local governments followed the wrong procedures when linking My Number with disability records. In response, Kono voluntarily returned three months worth of his cabinet salary to
4636-461: The request of Gunma Prefecture Governor Ichita Yamamoto , but there were also concerns that this would lead to an increase in the burden on each ministry and agency, an issue that Kono himself had raised. On 7 January 2021, Japan declared a state of emergency in Tokyo over the COVID-19 pandemic. 18 January 2021, Suga announced that Kono would be in charge of overseeing the Japanese administration of
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#17328686021004712-834: The return of resurgence of his chronic ulcerative colitis. In the subsequent leadership election , Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was elected succeed Abe as LDP President and Prime Minister. Suga and his cabinet were officially appointed on 16 September 2020, ending the Abe era that had spanned 8 years. Suga kept Kono in his cabinet, returning him to the position of Minister of State for Administrative Reform, while tapping Abe's younger brother Nobuo Kishi to succeed Kono as Defense Minister. The Nikkei described Kono as Suga's "point man for cutting red tape ," as Suga announced that government waste and sectionalism would be addressed by Kono's team. Suga used Kono’s new position as “drastic medicine” in an attempt to show his seriousness in
4788-510: The same election). Kono has been a member of five standing committees of the House of Representatives: Economy; Environment; Health, Labour, & Welfare; Trade & Industry; and Finance. In addition, he has been a member of two special committees: Consumer Affairs, and Children & Youth Affairs.From January to October 2002, Kono was Parliamentary Secretary for Public Management, responsible for administrative reforms, local governments, and "e-government." From November 2005 to September 2006 he
4864-480: The selection of the prime minister. A majority of the Cabinet, including the prime minister, must be members of the National Diet, and all members must be civilians . Under the Cabinet Law, the number of Cabinet ministers (excluding the prime minister) must be fourteen or less, but this may be increased to nineteen if a special need arises. If the Cabinet collectively resigns, it continues to exercise its functions until
4940-563: The use of hanko stamps and fax machines in the government. The term of the LDP Presidency is set to expire in September 2024. In May 2023, Kono didn't rule out a run for the party presidency. Kono conveyed his desire to run for party leadership to LDP Vice President and his faction boss, Taro Aso , during dinner on 26 June 2024. Kono later said during a press conference that he had been waiting 28 years to become prime minister. Two days later, fellow centrist Shigeru Ishiba also voiced his intention to run for LDP President. On 2 July it
5016-501: The wake of the assassination, and in an attempt to regain trust from the public, Kishida reshuffled his second cabinet for the first time in August 2022. On 10 August 2022, Kono was appointed as the Minister for Digital Transformation (also known as the Minister of Digital Affairs). He was also concurrently appointed as the Minister of State for Digital Reform, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety and Minister of State for
5092-741: Was Senior Vice Minister of Justice in Koizumi's government. In October 2002, Kono was named Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives. He resigned from this position two months later in protest over the Iraq War , accusing Foreign Minister Kawaguchi of not adequately explaining the government's policy. Kono was the Acting Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Committee until November 2003 and
5168-564: Was announced that the full relocation of the Consumer Affairs Agency would be postponed. He left government amidst a cabinet reshuffle in August 2016. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe , named Kono Foreign Minister on 3 August 2017, replacing Fumio Kishida , who had served in that role since 2012 and had rarely publicly disagreed with Abe. Kono was chosen over Katsunobu Kato , after lengthy deliberation, for his superior English ability and his grasp of international issues, despite having
5244-442: Was inherited from the previous reshuffled cabinet. Most notably, Kishida replaced Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi , who had served in his cabinet since after the general election , with Yoko Kamikawa , who had previously served as Minister of Justice under Yoshihide Suga . Kishida also replaced Yasukazu Hamada , who had served as Defense Minister since the first reshuffle , with Minoru Kihara , who had never served as
5320-625: Was one of the few members of the LDP to oppose the dispatch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces to Iraq. In 2004, Kono, then 41, was appointed Assistant Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, and was also elected Prefectural Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party in Kanagawa Prefecture. He was the youngest Prefectural Chairman in the LDP. In 2005, he led the Party in Kanagawa in the general election. In 2004, Kono co-sponsored
5396-500: Was part of the inaugural foreign and defense ministerial dialogue between India and Japan, which aimed to give further momentum to their special strategic partnership. In January 2020, Kono stated that "Japan and the United States should speed up efforts to resolve the issue of undelivered and unsettled arms purchases", referring to the Aegis Ashore system Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies , Kono celebrated
5472-474: Was reported by the Yukan Fuji that Shinjiro Koizumi , another centrist long considered a potential prime minister, was considering running. On 10 August, Kono again conveyed his desire to run to Aso. He reportedly told him he would run with or without his support. On 14 August, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he would not seek a second term as LDP President, making the race an open field. By 17 August, it
5548-454: Was reported that Kono had secured the 20 endorsements to announce his own campaign. Kōno officially declared his candidacy in a press conference held on 26 August in Tokyo. He became the first sitting Cabinet minister to announce. In his press conference, he stated he wanted to "move the country forward" as leader. Kono also acknowledged that his "record on reform" would be put to the test during
5624-425: Was responsible for coordinating security measures for the 2016 G7 summit , held in May 2016. He promoted the relocation of the Consumer Affairs Agency to Tokushima Prefecture , but postponed the full relocation due to the difficulty in carrying out duties such as responding to Diet meetings and crisis management. After Kono stepped down as Minister of Consumer Affairs, after three years of consideration, it
5700-488: Was so inundated with comments that he suspended it the next day. He re-established the suggestion box on the Cabinet Office website on 25 September as the "Regulatory Reform and Administrative Reform Hotline" so that comments would be sent via the government, but the volume of comments did not stop, and he suspended accepting comments again on 27 November. One comment was the complete free use of highways for ambulances, at
5776-447: Was the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe . He is also a member of the House of Representatives representing Kanagawa 's 15th district since 1996. Born in 1963 the eldest son of House Speaker and LDP President Yōhei Kōno , Kono grew up in a political family. Originally planning to study economics in Japan, he dropped out to attend Georgetown University , where he graduated with
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