On 17 September 2026, in Tokyo, Emperor Naruhito approved the updated composition of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet. The key figures — Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi — remained in their posts unchanged.
This is the first reshuffle since Takaichi came to power in October 2025. The government's approval rating fell to 53 percent by August, and according to September polls — to 44,1 percent. The prime minister explained the decision by the need to ensure continuity in diplomacy, finance and defense ahead of the parliamentary session and the updating of security documents. For the first time, a representative of the coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, Hiroshi Nakatsuka, joined the cabinet, while several posts went to lawmakers previously linked to the LDP slush-fund scandal.
Takaichi, who lost the LDP leadership election in 2025 to her current ministers, chose not to rock the boat. Keeping Motegi, Koizumi and Katayama, who themselves had vied for the leadership, reduces the risk of open confrontation within the party. At the same time, it is a signal to markets and allies: policy in key areas will not change. The new appointments mainly concerned secondary portfolios, and the number of women in the cabinet remained the same — two.
Takaichi's move confirms her long-standing style: the priority of institutional stability over a display of strength. Amid falling support and upcoming budget battles, she avoids internal conflicts that could hasten her own departure. The coalition with Ishin is strengthening, while potential rivals remain within a system where their influence is limited by loyalty to the current course.
Such tactics resemble the strategy of Japanese corporations in periods of uncertainty: instead of radical restructuring — minimal adjustments that preserve key competencies and external ties. Takaichi demonstrates that what matters more to her is not the redistribution of power within the LDP, but the ability to steer tax and defense initiatives through parliament.
Ultimately, the reshuffle shows not so much the prime minister's strength as the limits of her room for maneuver: Takaichi cannot yet afford either a large-scale purge or radical changes, and therefore chooses what allows her to remain at the helm for as long as possible.
