# First Hashimoto Cabinet

The First Hashimoto Cabinet was formed in January 1996 under the leadership of Ryutaro Hashimoto, following the resignation of Tomiichi Murayama as Prime Minister of Japan and head of the coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party, Japan Socialist Party and New Party Sakigake. The smaller Socialist party relinquished the leadership of the government to the LDP, which was the largest party in the Diet and Hashimoto (LDP President since September 1995) assumed the premiership, becoming the first LDP Prime Minister since August 1993.
The three-party coalition continued, although all ministers from the Murayama Cabinet were replaced. The Socialists renamed themselves as the Social Democratic Party and Secretary-general Wataru Kubo became Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. The cabinet lasted until November 1996, when it was dissolved following the 1996 general election and replaced with the Second Hashimoto Cabinet.

## Election of the prime minister

11 January 1996 Absolute majority required :
| House of Representatives ||||
| Choice | Choice | Runoff Vote | Runoff Vote |
| Choice | Choice | Votes |
| | YRyutaro Hashimoto | 288 / 511 |
| | Ichirō Ozawa | 167 / 511 |
| | Others and Abstentions (Including Speaker and Deputy) | 56 / 511 |
| Source Diet Minutes |||

## Ministers

Liberal Democratic  New Party Sakigake  Social Democratic R = Member of the House of Representatives C = Member of the House of Councillors
Cabinet of Ryutaro Hashimoto from January 11 to November 7, 1996 :
| Portfolio | Minister | Minister | Term of Office |
| Prime Minister | Ryutaro Hashimoto | R | January 11, 1996 - July 30, 1998 |
| Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Finance | Wataru Kubo | C | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Minister of Justice | Ritsuko Nagao | - | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Yukihiko Ikeda | R | January 11, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Minister of Education | Mikio Okuda | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Minister of Health and Welfare | Naoto Kan | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Ichizo Ohara | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Minister of International Trade and Industry | Shunpei Tsukahara | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Minister of Transport | Yoshiyuki Kamei | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Minister of Posts and Telecommunications | Ichiro Hino | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Minister of Labour | Takanobu Nagai | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Minister of Construction | Eiichi Nakao | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Minister of Home Affairs Director of the National Public Safety Commission | Hiroyuki Kurata | C | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Chief Cabinet Secretary | Seiroku Kajiyama | R | January 11, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Director of the Management and Coordination Agency | Sekisuke Nakanishi | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Director of the Hokkaido Development Agency Director of the Okinawa Development Agency | Saburo Okabe | C | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Director of the Japan Defense Agency | Hideo Usui | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Director of the Economic Planning Agency | Shusei Tanaka | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Director of the Science and Technology Agency | Hidenao Nakagawa | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Director of the Environment Agency | Sukio Iwadare | R | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |
| Director of the National Land Agency | Kazumi Suzuki | C | January 11, 1996 - November 7, 1996 |