Here are the profiles of members of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's new Cabinet:
Kishida aims to build on credit earned by hosting G-7 summit
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida achieved his aspired goal of hosting a Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May, with the surprise attendance by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy apparently helping him earn diplomatic credit.
Kishida, 66, who took power in 2021, now deals with such divisive issues as significantly increasing Japan's defense spending amid threats from China, Russia and North Korea. Domestically, he needs to enhance his standing within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party before its leadership election next year.
The former banker was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1993 from a constituency in the atomic-bombed city. He is known to enjoy a drink and as an avid fan of the Hiroshima Carp professional baseball team.
New internal affairs minister Suzuki advocate of small firms
Junji Suzuki, picked as the new minister of internal affairs and communications, has advocated the need to support smaller businesses and has returned to the ministry where he was once a senior vice minister.
The 65-year-old lawmaker from the Liberal Democratic Party also held the post of a senior vice industry minister in the past. Most recently, he has served as chair of the House of Representatives special committee investigating nuclear power issues.
Suzuki, whose father ran a small iron factory, is a sixth-term lower house member. A native of Seto in central Japan, known for being a production site of ceramics, his hobbies include pottery appreciation, according to his website.
New justice minister Koizumi is ex-finance ministry official
New Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi is a former finance ministry official and previously served as head of the Liberal Democratic Party's department in charge of diplomacy.
The 70-year-old, who worked in the finance ministry's departments that deal with international finance and oversee Japanese banks before being elected to the House of Representatives in 2000, says he seeks a "fair and equal society."
The seventh-term lower house member once left the ruling party and lost his seat in 2005 after opposing postal reforms spearheaded by then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who is no relation. He returned as an independent in 2009 and rejoined the party in 2017.
Foreign Minister Kamikawa known for ordering AUM cult executions
Having served as justice minister three times, new Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa is known for ordering the 2018 execution of 13 former AUM Shinrikyo cult members in connection with the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.
After graduating from the University of Tokyo, Kamikawa joined Japanese think tank Mitsubishi Research Institute, and studied at a graduate school of Harvard University. Before entering politics, she also worked as a policymaking staffer for then U.S. Senator Max Baucus and founded a public policy consulting firm.
A seventh-term House of Representatives member from Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan, the 70-year-old has such hobbies as aikido and Japanese traditional Nihon Buyo dance.
Mild-mannered Finance Minister Suzuki is good coordinator
Soft-spoken Shunichi Suzuki, who has retained his role as finance minister, is known for his coordination skills and was one of the key supporters of Fumio Kishida during Kishida's bid for the ruling party's presidency and the premiership two years ago.
Suzuki, 70, has been on good terms with Kishida, who leads the liberal-leaning faction within the Liberal Democratic Party that his father and the late former Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki once headed. He took over the finance portfolio held by his brother-in-law Taro Aso, the longest-serving finance chief in postwar Japan.
A native of northeastern Japan's Iwate Prefecture, the 10th-term House of Representatives lawmaker was first elected to the powerful chamber in 1990. He has served as environment minister and minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
New education minister Moriyama from Kishida's faction
New Education Minister Masahito Moriyama is a former vice justice minister and a member of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's political faction.
The 69-year-old lawmaker was a transport ministry bureaucrat before he was elected for the first time to the House of Representatives in 2005, and was once sent by the government to work for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris.
A fifth-term lower house member representing a proportional-representation district in western Japan, he is also a member of a nonpartisan lawmakers' group to promote friendship between Japan and Ukraine.
Health minister Takemi a public health expert
New health minister Keizo Takemi is a public health expert who was once a TV anchor and a university professor.
Takemi, 71, was first elected to the House of Councillors in 1995 and previously held the post of vice health minister. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, he advocated for a stronger government response to infectious diseases as a matter of national security.
Takemi, a native of Tokyo, was a visiting fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health and served as a goodwill ambassador for the World Health Organization to promote universal health coverage. The fifth-term lawmaker belongs to an intraparty group led by former Prime Minister Taro Aso, who has been reappointed as vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
New farm minister Miyashita policy expert in finance
Ichiro Miyashita, appointed as minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in his first Cabinet post, is a banker-turned-lawmaker with a deep knowledge of fiscal and monetary policy.
The six-term House of Representative member served as a senior vice finance minister and is also known to be well-versed in other policy fields such as agriculture, support measures for small and mid-sized business and digitalization.
Miyashita, 65, belongs to a Liberal Democratic Party faction once led by the former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. His hobbies include performing magic tricks.
Industry minister Nishimura vital in Fukushima water release
Yasutoshi Nishimura was retained as the economy, trade and industry minister, a post that oversees nuclear power plants in the country, after playing a key role in the start of the discharge of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.
Nishimura, 60, also took charge of Japan's fight against the novel coronavirus as a member of the Cabinet under the premierships of Yoshihide Suga and Shinzo Abe.
The seven-term House of Representatives member from Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, is a senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party's largest faction, once led by the late Abe. He continues to aspire to become prime minister, even after his failed bid in the LPD presidential race of 2009, when the party was not in power.
Train enthusiast Saito retained as transport minister
Tetsuo Saito, retained as transport minister, is deputy leader of the Komeito party, the junior coalition partner of the Liberal Democratic Party, and widely known in political circles for his love of trains.
Saito, a 10th-term lower house member representing a Hiroshima constituency, previously served as secretary general and policy chief of Komeito. He was also environment minister from 2008 to 2009.
The 71-year-old is a former engineer with a doctoral degree and researched the development of space at major construction firm Shimizu Corp. before first being elected to the House of Representatives in 1993.
Environment Minister Ito well-versed in foreign affairs
New Environment Minister Shintaro Ito is a seasoned lawmaker, known to be well-versed in foreign affairs as the Liberal Democratic Party's international bureau chief and fluent in English, French and Italian.
Belonging to an intraparty faction led by former Prime Minister Taro Aso, the seven-term House of Representatives member was senior vice foreign minister before taking up his first Cabinet post.
Ito, 70, also has significant career experience outside politics, including having worked as a film director, a newscaster and a professor at universities in Japan.
New Defense Minister Kihara eager to boost ties with Taiwan
New Defense Minister Minoru Kihara is likely to pursue deepened ties with Taipei due to his background serving as secretary general of a cross-party group dedicated to boosting Japan-Taiwan relations.
The 54-year-old House of Representatives member Kihara was a special national security adviser to former prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga.
A Waseda University graduate, Kihara worked for Japan Airlines Co. before being selected through public recruitment to run as a Liberal Democratic Party candidate from a Kumamoto constituency in southwestern Japan and becoming a lawmaker in 2005.
Matsuno continues as top gov't spokesman
Hirokazu Matsuno, reappointed as chief Cabinet secretary, has been overseeing the government's efforts to resolve issues surrounding North Korea's past abduction of Japanese nationals since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took office in October 2021.
As a top government spokesman, soft-spoken Matsuno routinely meets the press to present the government's official views.
The 61-year-old Chiba Prefecture native was elected to the House of Representatives in 2000.
After working for household products maker Lion Corp., he studied at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management, a private organization established by the Panasonic Corp. founder to nurture those who aspire to pursue a political career or become business leaders.
Digital minister Kono must deal with "My Number" woes
Taro Kono, who has retained his post as digital minister, faces the challenge of dealing with the problems related to the "My Number" national identification system that has helped drag down approval ratings for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's previous Cabinet.
Kono, 60, is seen as a reform-minded maverick within the conservative Liberal Democratic Party and is touted as a potential future prime minister. He is known for being outspoken and having a strong social media presence.
The ninth-term member of the House of Representatives assumed key ministerial positions, including foreign minister, between 2017 and 2019. He subsequently served as defense minister and vaccination minister.
Cooking master Tsuchiya takes up reconstruction portfolio
Shinako Tsuchiya, a qualified chef and nutritionist known for having taken part in TV cooking show programs in the past, took her first Cabinet post as minister for disaster reconstruction.
The 71-year-old House of Representatives member, first elected in 1996 from a constituency in Saitama Prefecture, has mainly focused on promoting nutritional education and reducing food waste. She previously assumed the role of senior vice minister of health, labor and welfare.
Seeking to promote the development of more female political leaders, she also heads friendship leagues with parliamentarians from Laos and Iceland. During her free time, she enjoys various hobbies, such as golf and growing vegetables.
Public safety chief Matsumura counts on business experience
Yoshifumi Matsumura, given his first Cabinet post as chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, has worked to support smaller businesses, utilizing his experience in corporate management.
Matsumura, 59, a four-term House of Councillors member, entered politics in 2004 after serving as the chairman of the Central Federation of Youth Leagues of Societies of Commerce and Industry, where he also strived to help revitalize local economies.
The former senior vice minister of economy, trade and industry is focused on the recovery of his home of Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, after it was hit by large earthquakes in 2016.
Child policy minister Kato is youngest Cabinet member
Ayuko Kato, 44, appointed as the child policy minister, is the youngest member of the reshuffled Cabinet, currently serving her third House of Representatives term from a constituency her late father Koichi, a former Liberal Democratic Party secretary general, once represented.
Before taking her first Cabinet post, Kato built her political career as deputy director of the LDP's women's affairs and youth divisions, among others, after working as a secretary for her father.
Kato, a Yamagata Prefecture native and a mother of two children, is one of five female ministers selected by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Economic revitalization minister Shindo known as hawkish
New economic revitalization minister Yoshitaka Shindo is a veteran ruling party lawmaker with a conservative agenda that includes constitutional reform and pushing for the resolution of territorial disputes with Japan's neighbors.
Shindo, 65, was the internal affairs minister, his first Cabinet post, immediately after Shinzo Abe became prime minister for a second time in 2012.
The eighth-term House of Representatives lawmaker served as the acting policy chief of the Liberal Democratic Party. He often visits the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine, which remains a source of diplomatic friction with Japan's neighbors, China and South Korea.
Economic security minister Takaichi seen as security hawk
Sanae Takaichi, retained as minister in charge of economic security, is a staunch conservative known for her hawkish views on security matters and strong ties with Taiwan.
The 62-year-old former Liberal Democratic Party policy chief has underscored the need for measures against industrial espionage targeting the advanced technologies of Japanese firms.
The ninth-term House of Representatives veteran ran in the LDP leadership race in 2021 with the support of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, aiming to become the country's first female prime minister, but dropped out in the first round of voting. She is a fan of heavy metal music and the Hanshin Tigers.
Regional revitalization minister Jimi key in child agency
New regional revitalization minister Hanako Jimi has devoted herself to medical care policies and the launch earlier this year of an agency that oversees child policies, drawing on her background as a pediatrician.
Jimi, 47, also dealt with the spread of COVID-19 in the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship as a parliamentary vice health minister.
The two-term House of Councillors lawmaker is the second daughter of Shozaburo Jimi, who was head of the now defunct Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
Related coverage:
China seeks dialogue for stable ties as Japan revamps Cabinet
FOCUS: PM Kishida's election strategy in limbo after unimpressive reshuffle
Kishida revamps Cabinet with record 5 women to boost sluggish support
