# Second Mori Cabinet

The Second Mori Cabinet governed Japan between July 2000 and April 2001 as a coalition government under the leadership of Prime Minister Yoshirō Mori of the Liberal Democratic Party. The cabinet was formed after the LDP-NKP-NCP coalition was returned to office with a substantially reduced majority in the June 25 general election, and inaugurated after Mori's re-election by the National Diet on July 4. Unlike his first cabinet, which retained all of former Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi's ministers, Mori introduced several personnel changes, although this was done with reference to LDP factions.

## Mori administration

Administrative reforms begun under Prime Minister Hashimoto came into effect during the Mori government's second term, resulting in the merger, renaming or creation of several ministries and cabinet posts. Two reshuffles of the second Mori Cabinet took place, the first in December 2000 in which a large number of ministers were replaced and ministerial portfolios were allocated in anticipation of the planned overhaul in government structures. Hashimoto was brought back into cabinet to oversee further government reforms. When the second reshuffle occurred one month later no ministers were moved, but instead the changes in ministries and offices came into effect. The powers of the Prime Minister's office were increased and the number of ministers was reduced through mergers, for example the Home Affairs, Management and Co-ordination, and Posts and Communications briefs were combined to become the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.
Mori was a deeply unpopular leader throughout his year-long term, with several gaffes, scandals and resignations of government and party figures causing his approval ratings to fall below 10 percent. At the end of 2000, several LDP members launched an abortive effort to remove Mori through a vote of no-confidence, this failed, though it further damaged his government's standing. In the spring of 2001, Mori announced that the election for LDP president would be brought forward from the autumn, which was in effect a resignation announcement since he was not expected to stand again for the leadership. Mori then confirmed his intention to stand down at the beginning of April and remained in office for several more weeks until Junichiro Koizumi was elected as his successor and became Prime Minister on April 26.

## Election of the prime minister

4 July 2000 :
| House of Representatives Absolute majority (241/480) required ||||
| Choice | Choice | First Vote | First Vote |
| Choice | Choice | Votes |
| | YYoshirō Mori | 284 / 480 |
| | Yukio Hatoyama | 130 / 480 |
| | Ichiro Ozawa | 22 / 480 |
| | Tetsuzo Fuwa | 20 / 480 |
| | Takako Doi | 19 / 480 |
| | Koji Kakizawa | 1 / 480 |
| | Torao Tokuda | 1 / 480 |
| | Motoo Shiina [ja] | 1 / 480 |
| | Abstentions (Including blank ballots) | 2 / 480 |
| Source Diet Minutes - 148th Session |||

## List of ministers

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

### Cabinet

Second Mori Cabinet from July 4, 2000 to December 5, 2000 :
| Portfolio | Minister | Minister | Term of office |
| Prime Minister | Yoshirō Mori | R | April 5, 2000 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Justice | Okiharu Yasuoka | R | July 4, 2000 - December 5, 2000 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Yōhei Kōno | R | October 5, 1999 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Finance | Kiichi Miyazawa | R | July 30, 1998 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Education Director of the Science and Technology Agency | Tadamori Oshima | R | July 4, 2000 - December 5, 2000 |
| Minister of Health and Welfare | Yūji Tsushima | R | July 4, 2000 - December 5, 2000 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Yoichi Tani | R | July 4, 2000 - December 5, 2000 |
| Minister of International Trade and Industry | Takeo Hiranuma | R | July 4, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Minister of Transport Director of the Hokkaido Development Agency | Hajime Morita | R | July 4, 2000 - December 5, 2000 |
| Minister of Posts and Telecommunications | Kozo Hirabayashi | R | July 4, 2000 - December 5, 2000 |
| Minister of Labour | Yoshio Yoshikawa | C | July 4, 2000 - December 5, 2000 |
| Minister of Construction Director of the National Land Agency | Chikage Ogi | C | July 4, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Minister of Home Affairs Director of the National Public Safety Commission | Mamoru Nishida | R | July 4, 2000 - December 5, 2000 |
| Chief Cabinet Secretary Director of the Okinawa Development Agency | Hidenao Nakagawa | R | July 4, 2000 - October 27, 2000 |
| Chief Cabinet Secretary Director of the Okinawa Development Agency | Yasuo Fukuda | R | October 27, 2000 - May 7, 2004 |
| Chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission | Kimitaka Kuze | C | July 4, 2000 - July 30, 2000 |
| Chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission | Hideyuki Aizawa | R | July 30, 2000 - December 5, 2000 |
| Director of the Management and Coordination Agency | Kunihiro Tsuzuki | C | October 5, 1999 - December 5, 2000 |
| Director of the Japan Defense Agency | Kazuo Torashima | R | July 4, 2000 - December 5, 2000 |
| Director of the Economic Planning Agency | Taichi Sakaiya | - | July 30, 1998 - December 5, 2000 |
| Director of the Environment Agency | Yoriko Kawaguchi | - | July 4, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Deputy Secretaries |||||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Representatives) | Shinzo Abe | R | July 4, 2000 - September 22, 2003 |
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Councillors) | Kosei Ueno | C | July 4, 2000 - September 22, 2003 |
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) | Teijiro Furukawa | - | February 24, 1995 - September 22, 2003 |

#### Changes

* July 30, 2000 - Chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission Kimitaka Kuze resigned as the result of a payments scandal and was replaced with Hideyuki Aizawa.
* October 27, 2000 - Chief Cabinet Secretary Hidenao Nakagawa resigned after being accused in the press of having connections to far-right groups, and of having an extramarital affair which led him to leak confidential information. He was replaced with Yasuo Fukuda.

### Reshuffle before 2001 Central Government Reform

Second Mori Cabinet from December 5, 2000 to January 6, 2001 :
| Portfolio | Minister | Minister | Term of Office |
| Prime Minister | Yoshirō Mori | R | April 5, 2000 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Justice | Masahiko Kōmura | R | December 5, 2000 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Yōhei Kōno | R | October 5, 1999 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Finance | Kiichi Miyazawa | R | July 30, 1998 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Education Director of the Science and Technology Agency | Nobutaka Machimura | R | December 5, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Minister of Health and Welfare Minister of Labour | Chikara Sakaguchi | R | December 5, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Yoshio Yatsu | R | December 5, 2000 - 26 April 2001 |
| Minister of International Trade and Industry | Takeo Hiranuma | R | July 4, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Minister of Transport Minister of Construction Director of the Hokkaido Development Agency Director of the National Land Agency | Chikage Ogi | C | July 4, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Minister of Home Affairs Director of the Management and Coordination Agency | Toranosuke Katayama | C | December 5, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Chief Cabinet Secretary | Yasuo Fukuda | R | October 27, 2000 - May 7, 2004 |
| Director of the National Public Safety Commission | Bunmei Ibuki | R | December 5, 2000 - April 26, 2001 |
| Chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission | Hakuo Yanagisawa | R | December 5, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Director of the Japan Defense Agency | Toshitsugu Saito | R | December 5, 2000 - 26 April 2001 |
| Director of the Economic Planning Agency | Fukushiro Nukaga | R | December 5, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Director of the Environment Agency | Yoriko Kawaguchi | - | July 4, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Minister of State for Administrative Reform Director of the Okinawa Development Agency | Ryutaro Hashimoto | R | December 5, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Minister of State (Science and Technology Policy) | Takashi Sasagawa | R | December 5, 2000 - January 6, 2001 |
| Deputy Secretaries |||||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Representatives) | Shinzo Abe | R | July 4, 2000 - September 22, 2003 |
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Councillors) | Kosei Ueno | C | July 4, 2000 - September 22, 2003 |
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) | Teijiro Furukawa | - | February 24, 1995 - September 22, 2003 |

### Reshuffle after 2001 Central Government Reform

Second Mori Cabinet from January 6, 2001 to April 26, 2001 :
| Portfolio | Minister | Minister | Term of Office |
| Prime Minister | Yoshirō Mori | R | April 5, 2000 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Finance | Kiichi Miyazawa | R | July 30, 1998 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications | Toranosuke Katayama | C | January 6, 2001 - September 22, 2003 |
| Minister of Justice | Masahiko Kōmura | R | December 5, 2000 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Yōhei Kōno | R | October 5, 1999 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology | Nobutaka Machimura | R | January 6, 2001 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare | Chikara Sakaguchi | R | January 6, 2001 - September 27, 2004 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Yoshio Yatsu | R | December 5, 2000 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry | Takeo Hiranuma | R | January 6, 2001 - September 22, 2003 |
| Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | Chikage Ogi | C | January 6, 2001 - September 22, 2003 |
| Minister of the Environment | Yoriko Kawaguchi | - | January 6, 2001 - February 8, 2002 |
| Chief Cabinet Secretary Minister for Gender Equality | Yasuo Fukuda | R | October 27, 2000 - May 7, 2004 |
| Director of the Japan Defense Agency | Toshitsugu Saito | R | December 5, 2000 - April 26, 2001 |
| Director of the National Public Safety Commission Minister for Disaster Management | Bunmei Ibuki | R | December 5, 2000 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of State (Science and Technology Policy) | Takashi Sasagawa | R | January 6, 2001 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of State for Financial Services | Hakuo Yanagisawa | R | January 6, 2001 - September 30, 2002 |
| Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy | Fukushiro Nukaga | R | January 6, 2001 - January 23, 2001 |
| Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy | Tarō Asō | R | January 23, 2001 - April 26, 2001 |
| Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State for Regulatory Reform | Ryutaro Hashimoto | R | January 6, 2001 - April 26, 2001 |
| Deputy Secretaries |||||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Representatives) | Shinzo Abe | R | July 4, 2000 - September 22, 2003 |
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Councillors) | Kosei Ueno | C | July 4, 2000 - September 22, 2003 |
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) | Teijiro Furukawa | - | February 24, 1995 - September 22, 2003 |

#### Changes

* January 23, 2001 - Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Fukushiro Nukaga resigned due to his involvement in a bribery scandal, and was replaced by Tarō Asō.