# First Abe Cabinet

The First Abe Cabinet governed Japan under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from September 2006 to September 2007. 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.The cabinet faced policy issues regarding government debts and the shrinking population.
At a joint press conference Hakuo Yanagisawa, who was appointed Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, spoke to a number of issues including reform of the Social Insurance Agency, measures against the decline in the birthrate, the unification of the Employees Pension Plan and the Mutual Pension Plan for public servants, and revision of labor-related laws.
At the onset Prime Minister Abe's approval rating was 70%, but dropped to 30% prior to the 2007 House of Councilors election, which resulted in the LDP losing the Upper House to the Democratic Party of Japan and becoming the second party for the first time in its history. Abe subsequently resigned, citing health reasons. Abe was criticized for not explaining his thinking enough to show where Japan was going.

## Background

Abe was elected to the House of Representatives in 1993, and by 1999 was serving as Director of the Committee on Health and Welfare, and as Director of the Social Affairs Division of the Liberal Democratic Party. In 2003, Abe was elected Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party, and two years later became Chief Cabinet Secretary.
Abe took office as the first Japanese Prime Minister born in the postwar period.

## Election of the prime minister

Abe succeeded Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. He maintained Koizumi's emphasis on the U.S.-Japan alliance as the basis of national defense, but he wanted Japan to be a more equal partner. One goal of his administration was to revise Japan's constitution to normalize the use of military force.
26 September 2006 Absolute majority (238/475) required :
| House of Representatives ||||
| Choice | Choice | First Vote | First Vote |
| Choice | Choice | Votes |
| | YShinzo Abe | 339 / 475 |
| | Ichirō Ozawa | 136 / 475 |
| Source |||
26 September 2006 Absolute majority (121/240) required :
| House of Councillors ||||
| Choice | Choice | First Vote | First Vote |
| Choice | Choice | Votes |
| | YShinzo Abe | 136 / 240 |
| | Ichirō Ozawa | 104 / 240 |
| Source |||

## Lists of ministers

Liberal Democratic  New Komeito  Independent R = Member of the House of Representatives C = Member of the House of Councillors

### Cabinet

Abe announced his Cabinet on September 26, 2006. The largest Mori faction in the Liberal Democratic Party received the most appointments.
First Abe Cabinet from September 26, 2006 to August 27, 2007 :
| Portfolio | Minister | Minister | Term of office |
| Prime Minister | Shinzo Abe | R | September 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007 |
| Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Minister of State for Decentralization Reform Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services | Yoshihide Suga | R | September 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of Justice | Jinen Nagase | R | September 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Tarō Asō | R | October 31, 2005 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of Finance | Kōji Omi | R | September 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology | Bunmei Ibuki | R | September 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007 |
| Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare | Hakuo Yanagisawa | R | September 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Toshikatsu Matsuoka | C | September 26, 2006 – May 28, 2007 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Masatoshi Wakabayashi | C | May 28, 2007 – June 1, 2007 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Norihiko Akagi | R | June 1, 2007 – August 1, 2007 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Masatoshi Wakabayashi | C | August 1, 2007 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry | Akira Amari | R | September 26, 2006 – August 2, 2008 |
| Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister for Ocean Policy | Tetsuzo Fuyushiba | R | September 26, 2006 – August 2, 2008 |
| Minister of the Environment Minister in Charge of Global Environmental Problems | Masatoshi Wakabayashi | C | September 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of Defense | Fumio Kyūma | R | January 9, 2007 – July 4, 2007 |
| Minister of Defense | Yuriko Koike | R | July 4, 2007 – August 27, 2007 |
| Chief Cabinet Secretary | Yasuhisa Shiozaki | R | September 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of State, Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Minister of State for Disaster Management | Kensei Mizote | C | September 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Minister of State for Innovation Minister of State for Gender Equality Minister of State for Social Affairs and Food Safety | Sanae Takaichi | R | September 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of State for Financial Services | Yuji Yamamoto | R | September 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy | Hiroko Ōta | – | September 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007 |
| Minister of State for Regulatory Reform | Genichiro Sata | R | September 26, 2006 – December 28, 2006 |
| Minister of State for Regulatory Reform | Yoshimi Watanabe | R | December 28, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Deputy Secretaries |||||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Representatives) | Hakubun Shimomura | R | September 26, 2006 – August 27, 2007 |
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Councillors) | Seiji Suzuki | C | October 31, 2005 – August 27, 2007 |
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) | Junzo Sotoba | – | September 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007 |

#### Changes

* December 28, 2006 – Regulatory Reform Genichiro Sata resigned and was replaced by Yoshimi Watanabe.
* January 9, 2007 – A new position of Defense Minister was created, Fumio Kyūma was appointed the inaugural minister.
* May 28, 2007 – Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka committed suicide and was replaced by Norihiko Akagi.
* July 3, 2007 – Defense Minister Fumio Kyūma resigned and was replaced by Yuriko Koike.
* August 1, 2007 – Agriculture Minister Norihiko Akagi committed suicide and was replaced by Masatoshi Wakabayashi.

### Reshuffled cabinet

First Abe Cabinet from August 27, 2007 to September 26, 2007 :
| Portfolio | Minister | Minister | Term of office |
| Prime Minister | Shinzo Abe | R | September 26, 2006 – September 26, 2006 |
| Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Minister of State for Decentralization Reform Minister of State for Correcting Regional Disparities Minister of State for Regional Government (doshu-sei) Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services | Hiroya Masuda | – | August 27, 2007 – September 24, 2008 |
| Minister of Justice | Kunio Hatoyama | R | August 27, 2007 – August 2, 2008 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Nobutaka Machimura | R | August 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007 |
| Minister of Finance | Fukushiro Nukaga | R | August 27, 2007 – August 2, 2008 |
| Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology | Bunmei Ibuki | R | September 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007 |
| Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare | Yōichi Masuzoe | C | August 27, 2007 – September 26, 2009 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Takehiko Endo | R | August 27, 2007 – September 3, 2007 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Masatoshi Wakabayashi | C | September 3, 2007 – August 2, 2008 |
| Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry | Akira Amari | R | September 26, 2006 – August 2, 2008 |
| Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister for Ocean Policy | Tetsuzo Fuyushiba | R | September 26, 2006 – August 2, 2008 |
| Minister of the Environment Minister in Charge of Global Environmental Problems | Ichirō Kamoshita | R | August 27, 2007 – August 2, 2008 |
| Minister of Defense | Masahiko Kōmura | R | August 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007 |
| Chief Cabinet Secretary Minister of State for the Abduction Issue | Kaoru Yosano | R | August 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007 |
| Minister of State, Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Minister of State for Disaster Management and Food Safety | Shinya Izumi | C | August 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007 |
| Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State for Quality-of-Life Policy Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Minister of State for "Challenge Again" Initiative Minister of State for Regulatory Reform | Fumio Kishida | R | August 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007 |
| Minister of State for Financial Services and Administrative Reform | Yoshimi Watanabe | R | August 27, 2007 – September 24, 2008 |
| Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy | Hiroko Ōta | – | September 26, 2006 – September 24, 2008 |
| Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs | Yōko Kamikawa | R | September 26, 2006 – September 24, 2008 |
| Deputy Secretaries |||||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Representatives) | Matsushige Ono | R | August 27, 2007 – September 26, 2007 |
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Councillors) | Mitsuhide Iwaki | C | August 27, 2007 – September 24, 2008 |
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) | Junzo Sotoba | – | September 26, 2006 – September 26, 2007 |

#### Changes

* September 3, 2007 – Agriculture Minister Takehiko Endo resigned and was replaced by his immediate predecessor Masatoshi Wakabayashi.