# Second Hashimoto Cabinet

The Second Hashimoto Cabinet governed Japan from November 1996 to July 1998 under the leadership of Ryutaro Hashimoto.

## Political background

Hashimoto had become Prime Minister in January 1996 at the head of a three-party coalition, and was returned to office in the general election of November 1996. While the coalition parties (the Liberal Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party and the New Party Sakigake) won a slim majority in the House of Representatives, the SDP and NPS had seen their popularity collapse due to their association with the coalition, and decided to remain outside the government. Therefore, Hashimoto formed a minority, wholly LDP government (the first since 1993) with the promise of SDP and NPS support when he was elected by the National Diet on November 7. He promised to continue his policies of "six great reforms" in the areas of administration, financial markets, education, social security, fiscal policy and economic policy, and appointed several former ministers to cabinet to help achieve this.
Less than a year into Hashimoto's second term in September 1997, the LDP regained a slim majority in the lower house due to defections from, and eventual break up of the opposition New Frontier Party, although the government maintained its alliance with the SDP and NPS. Several days later, Hashimoto conducted a cabinet reshuffle, which backfired when he was severely criticised for his appointment of Koko Sato, who had been convicted of bribery in relation to the Lockheed Scandal. This criticism forced Sato to resign after only 11 days in office. The government was damaged further when Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka resigned in January 1998 because of a corruption scandal that had been uncovered in the Finance Ministry. At the same time, as part of efforts to close the budget deficit, Hashimoto's government raised the consumption tax in 1998, which negatively affected consumer demand and caused a recession at a time of high unemployment.
By 1998 the poor economic situation, the backlash against economic reforms and the cabinet resignations had greatly diminished Hashimoto's popularity. In the 1998 House of Councillor's election, the LDP lost several seats, leaving the government in a minority. Hashimoto immediately resigned and was replaced by Foreign Minister Keizō Obuchi, who took office on July 30, 1998, and inaugurated the Obuchi Cabinet.

## Election of the prime minister

7 November 1996 Absolute majority required :
| House of Representatives ||||
| Choice | Choice | Runoff Vote | Runoff Vote |
| Choice | Choice | Votes |
| | YRyutaro Hashimoto | 262 / 500 |
| | Ichirō Ozawa | 152 / 500 |
| | Others and Abstentions (Including Speaker and Deputy) | 86 / 500 |
| Source Diet Minutes - 138th Session |||

## List of ministers

Liberal Democratic R = Member of the House of Representatives C = Member of the House of Councillors

### Cabinet

Cabinet of Ryutaro Hashimoto from November 7, 1996, to September 11, 1997 :
| Portfolio | Minister | Minister | Term of office |
| Prime Minister | Ryutaro Hashimoto | R | January 11, 1996 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Justice | Isao Matsuura | C | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Yukihiko Ikeda | R | January 11, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Minister of Finance | Hiroshi Mitsuzuka | R | November 7, 1996 - January 28, 1998 |
| Minister of Education | Takashi Kosugi | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Minister of Health and Welfare | Junichiro Koizumi | R | November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Takao Fujimoto | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Minister of International Trade and Industry | Shinji Sato | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Minister of Transport | Makoto Koga | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Minister of Posts and Telecommunications | Hisao Horinōchi | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Minister of Labour | Yutaka Okano | C | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Minister of Construction | Shizuka Kamei | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Minister of Home Affairs Director of the National Public Safety Commission | Katsuhiko Shirakawa | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Chief Cabinet Secretary | Seiroku Kajiyama | R | January 11, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Director of the Management and Coordination Agency | Kabun Mutō | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Director of the Hokkaido Development Agency Director of the Okinawa Development Agency | Jitsuo Inagaki | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Director of the Japan Defense Agency | Fumio Kyūma | R | November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998 |
| Director of the Economic Planning Agency | Tarō Asō | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Director of the Science and Technology Agency | Riichiro Chikaoka | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Director of the Environment Agency | Michiko Ishii | C | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |
| Director of the National Land Agency | Kosuke Ito | R | November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997 |

### Reshuffled cabinet

Cabinet of Ryutaro Hashimoto from September 11, 1997, to July 30, 1998 :
| Portfolio | Minister | Minister | Term of office |
| Prime Minister | Ryutaro Hashimoto | R | January 11, 1996 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Justice | Kokichi Shimoinaba | C | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Keizō Obuchi | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Finance | Hiroshi Mitsuzuka | R | November 7, 1996 - January 28, 1998 |
| Minister of Finance | Hikaru Matsunaga | R | January 30, 1998 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Education | Nobutaka Machimura | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Health and Welfare | Junichiro Koizumi | R | November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Ihei Ochi | R | September 11, 1997 - September 25, 1997 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Yoshinobu Shimamura | R | September 26, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of International Trade and Industry | Mitsuo Horiuchi | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Transport | Takao Fujii | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Posts and Telecommunications | Shozaburo Jimi | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Labour | Bunmei Ibuki | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Construction | Tsutomu Kawara | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Minister of Home Affairs Director of the National Public Safety Commission | Mitsuhiro Uesugi | C | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Chief Cabinet Secretary | Kanezo Muraoka | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Director of the Management and Coordination Agency | Koko Sato | R | September 11, 1997 - September 22, 1997 |
| Director of the Management and Coordination Agency | Sadatoshi Ozato | R | September 22, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Director of the Hokkaido Development Agency Director of the Okinawa Development Agency | Muneo Suzuki | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Director of the Japan Defense Agency | Fumio Kyūma | R | November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998 |
| Director of the Economic Planning Agency | Kōji Omi | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Director of the Science and Technology Agency | Sadakazu Tanigaki | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Director of the Environment Agency | Hiroshi Oki | C | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |
| Director of the National Land Agency | Hisaoki Kamei | R | September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998 |

#### Changes

* September 22, 1997 - Director of the Management and Co-Ordination Agency, Koko Sato resigned due to criticism of a previous conviction for bribery in connection with the Lockheed Scandal and was replaced by Sadatoshi Ozato.
* September 27, 1997 - Agriculture Minister Ihei Ochi resigned after suffering a stroke and was replaced with Yoshinobu Shimamura.
* January 28, 1998 - Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka resigned to take responsibility for departmental corruption and was replaced with Hikaru Matsunaga.