On Monday, Fumio Kishida officially became Japan¡¯s 100th prime minister. Along with Kishida¡¯s formal accession to power came the formation of his Cabinet, in which he made 20 appointments to go along with the LDP executive positions he decided last Friday.
Kishida¡¯s first Cabinet is indicative of the outcomes of the intraparty deal-making that helped elevate him to the country¡¯s top job. Cabinet appointments are tools for managing intraparty politics and have been for decades. A prime minister will use the postings to reward allies, placate or punish adversaries, and satisfy intraparty deals. That¡¯s why it is important to look at not only who gets picked, but which LDP patrons they represent.
A deep look at the Cabinet reveals a few key points.
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