TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has chosen his new cabinet, reappointing key economic ministers but replacing his defence and foreign ministers in a sweeping reshuffle, the top government spokesman said on Thursday.

Abe re-appointed Taro Aso as finance minister, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga, who will also remain in his job, told a news conference.

Itsunori Onodera, a former defence chief, is to return to the defence ministry - rocked by the resignation last week of close Abe political ally Tomomi Inada.

Taro Kono, the son of a former foreign minister, will become the country's new top diplomat.

Aso, who was also re-appointed as deputy prime minister, has held both portfolios since Abe swept to power in late 2012, pledging to revive the stagnant economy.

Abe also re-appointed Hiroshige Seko as trade minister, but named Taro Kono to the foreign ministry post and former defence minister Itsunori Onodera to the defence portfolio.

With his support plunging to below 30 per cent in some polls, Abe hopes to revive his flagging popularity with the reshuffle, but the stock market initially shrugged off the lineup, most of which was reported the day before. </s> TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has chosen his new cabinet, reappointing key economic ministers but replacing his defense and foreign ministers in a sweeping reshuffle, the top government spokesman said on Thursday.

Abe re-appointed Taro Aso as finance minister, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga, who will also remain in his job, told a news conference.

Aso, who was also re-appointed as deputy prime minister, has held both portfolios since Abe swept to power in late 2012, pledging to revive the stagnant economy.

Abe also re-appointed Hiroshige Seko as trade minister, but named Taro Kono to the foreign ministry post and former defense minister Itsunori Onodera to the defense portfolio.

With his support plunging to below 30 percent in some polls, Abe hopes to revive his flagging popularity with the reshuffle, but the stock market initially shrugged off the lineup, most of which was reported the day before. </s> Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his Cabinet on Thursday, adding party veterans in a bid to restore his battered popularity.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who retained his post, announced the new lineup.

Abe’s approval ratings have suffered from scandals over alleged cronyism and other abuses and objections to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s tendency to force unpopular legislation through parliament.

The shakeup reflects Abe’s recognition that despite the Liberal Democrats’ overwhelming majority in parliament, his own once seemingly invincible position may be imperiled.

But plans for the reshuffle were disclosed weeks in advance, and it was not expected to have a major impact on the foreign policy or economy of America’s biggest ally in Asia.

The newly named ministers include many Cabinet veterans, including Itsunori Onodera, a former defense minister who again was named to that post.

Last week, Abe protege Tomomi Inada stepped down as defense minister after the disclosure that the ministry hid information about risks faced by Japanese peacekeeping troops in South Sudan.

Abe also re-appointed Taro Aso as finance minister and deputy prime minister, Reuters reported. Aso has held both positions since Abe came to power in late 2012.

Abe also re-appointed Hiroshige Seko as trade minister, and Taro Kono as foreign minister, the Reuters report said.

Japan’s stock market initially shrugged off the changes, most of which were initially disclosed Wednesday.

This story includes reporting from the Associated Press. </s> Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Sunday sought cooperation from Mongolia over efforts to settle the issue of past abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea, as Ulaanbaatar maintains friendly ties with Pyongyang.

During talks between Kono and his Mongolian counterpart, Damdin Tsogtbaatar, in the Mongolian capital, the two agreed on the importance of fully implementing U.N. sanctions against North Korea to push the country toward denuclearization, according to Japanese officials.

Kono said the two countries are strategic partners sharing universal values and that he hopes to further develop their relationship. Tsogtbaatar agreed to deepen ties.

Tokyo, which has no diplomatic ties with North Korea, has often looked to Mongolia to act as a mediator. It is the first time in about nine years that a Japanese foreign minister has visited the country.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently stepped up efforts to reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying he is willing to hold a meeting “without preconditions” — a shift from his previous position that any summit should yield progress on the abduction issue.

North Korea has so far reacted coldly, with its state-run media quoting a spokesperson for the country’s Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee earlier in the month as calling the offer “brazen.”

Japan officially lists 17 people as victims of abduction, five of whom were repatriated in 2002, and suspects the North’s involvement in many other disappearances.

Kono will return to Japan on Monday. </s> Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday was set to announce new defence and foreign ministers as part of a cabinet revamp he hopes will stem a decline in public support after a series of scandals and missteps.

Political blueblood Abe, in office since late December 2012, has pushed a nationalist agenda alongside a massive policy effort to end years of on-off deflation and rejuvenate the world`s third-largest economy.

But he has seen public support rates plummet in the past few months over an array of political troubles, including allegations of favouritism to a friend in a business deal — which Abe strongly denies.

Abe will reportedly reappoint former defence minister Itsunori Onodera to the post after close political ally and fellow hawk Tomomi Inada resigned last week following a scandal at the ministry over the handling of military documents.

He is also set to tap as ministers some who have opposed his policies, including Taro Kono, the son of a dovish former foreign minister known for issuing a 1993 apology as chief cabinet secretary over Japan`s use of "comfort women" — a euphemism for sex slavery — in World War II.

US-educated Kono is set to replace Fumio Kishida, who served as foreign minister since Abe came to power. Kishida, often tapped as a future Prime Minister, is moving to a top post in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

"I deeply regret that my shortcomings have invited this situation," a chastened Abe said ahead of the formal announcement of the cabinet changes.

Abe`s LDP suffered a drubbing in local Tokyo elections last month, which analysts and newspapers blamed on an increasing "arrogance" on the part of the Prime Minister.

Kono, 54, is known as an independent-minded, anti-nuclear power advocate, in sharp contrast to Abe`s support for atomic energy.

Meanwhile, Seiko Noda, 56, once hailed as Japan`s most likely first female Prime Minister and who once tried to challenge Abe for the party leadership, was expected to serve as internal affairs minister.

Returning defence chief Onodera, 57, held the post for nearly two years until September 2014, and has vowed to restore unity and confidence within the ministry.

His expected appointment also comes amid rising tensions surrounding North Korea`s missile development.

Pyongyang launched its latest missile late Friday, just hours after the US and Japan moved to step up sanctions against it following its earlier test of an ICBM capable of reaching parts of the US.

Meanwhile, Abe was seen leaving some key posts, such as finance minister and chief cabinet secretary, unchanged. </s> (CNN) Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who heads Tuesday to Mar-a-Lago for a meeting with US President Donald Trump, is in dire need of a policy win as he faces challenges abroad and protests at home.

After staking out a hawkish position on North Korea, Abe was caught on the back foot when Trump announced he was open to a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Tokyo's previous warnings not to trust Pyongyang have been dropped as both Washington and Seoul barreled forward with engagement. Abe is now seeking a summit with Kim for himself, rather than be further left out of North Asia's rapidly changing political situation.

While Abe had cultivated close ties with Trump, becoming the first foreign leader to meet him after his election, he has also faced disputes with the US leader over trade.

"It's a sign of the continuing close relationship that he was granted a meeting at short notice," said Euan Graham, director of the International Security Program at Australia's Lowy Institute.

"But the shine is coming off there, too, given Trump's tendency to apply leverage freely between economic and security issues."

Tens of thousands protested outside Japan's Parliament in Tokyo on Saturday, calling Abe a liar and demanding his resignation over a corruption scandal which has dogged his premiership for months.

While this weekend's protests did not come near the size of rallies in 2015 protesting Abe's push to expand the military, the combination of pressure from within the LDP and from the public has some questioning whether Abe can hold on.

"Abe appears unable to shake off the scandals," said Graham, though he pointed out "there was a time when serving Japanese Prime Ministers would be lucky to register more than 20% popularity ratings."

"But it is the stickiest period he has faced since returning to the premiership, without question," he said.

Duncan Innes-Ker, Asia regional director at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said there was "no question" that Abe had been hurt by the ongoing scandal.

"Against this background Abe badly needs a win," he said.

The Japanese leader may be hoping that win will come at Mar-a-Lago, where, according to a statement from the White House, Trump and Abe will "explore ways to expand fair and reciprocal trade and investment ties between the United States and Japan."

Innes-Ker said Trump "could potentially offer concessions on the steel and aluminum issue or he could signal a US intention to rejoin the (Trans-Pacific Partnership)."

While "both would be seen as a triumph for Abe," he warned they would not come without concessions from Tokyo.

While Trump did surprise observers by indicating last week he may be open to rejoining the TPP -- an Obama-negotiated trade deal he once slammed -- the White House is more likely to push Tokyo to sign a bilateral deal less to Abe's liking.

Since returning to the premiership in 2012, Abe has made security a key plank of his appeal. His tough response to North Korean missile testing last year was a key part of his election campaign during last year's snap election.

Abe's hawkish posture seems to have backfired, however, with both Seoul and Washington pursuing engagement with Pyongyang.

"On North Korea, Japan now looks the most isolated of the allies. It has even tried reopening independent contacts with Pyongyang, and is conducting fence-mending diplomacy with China currently," Graham said.

"But Abe has made his choice to double down on the US Alliance, and cannot be expected to reverse course now."

One major concern in Tokyo is that a US future deal with North Korea could result in Pyongyang retaining missiles which can target Japan.

He said he would call on Trump to push North Korea to "also abandon short and intermediate-range missiles that put Japan within range."

"Even South Korea is struggling to get its voice heard as the denuclearization push increasingly becomes a US-China-North Korean discussion," Innes-Ker said.

"It is not clear that any party is sidelining Japan as a conscious move, but they are certainly not reaching out to include it, and its priorities could get pushed down the list as a result." </s> NEW YORK (Reuters) - Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described Donald Trump as a “trustworthy leader” after meeting the U.S. president-elect on Thursday to get clarity on statements Trump had made while campaigning that had caused concern about the alliance.

Abe, speaking after the hastily arranged 90-minute meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan, reporters: “The talks made me feel sure that we can build a relationship of trust.” But he would not disclose specifics because the conversation was unofficial.

Trump, in a brief entry on his Facebook page accompanied by a photo of the two men, said: “It was a pleasure to have Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stop by my home and begin a great friendship.”

Japan’s leadership has been nervous about the future of an alliance that is core to Tokyo’s diplomacy and security.

Trump had fanned worries in Tokyo and beyond with comments on the possibility of Japan acquiring nuclear arms, demands that allies pay more for keeping U.S. forces on their soil or face their possible withdrawal, and his opposition to the U.S.-led 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact.

Abe had worked closely with President Barack Obama on the TPP trade pact, which was part of Obama’s push to counter the rising strength of China and a pillar of Abe’s economic reforms.

“Alliances cannot function without trust. I am now confident that President-elect Trump is a trustworthy leader,” said Abe, describing the talks as “candid” and held in a “warm atmosphere”.

Abe gave Trump a golf driver and received golf-wear in return, Japanese officials said.

Photographs taken inside the ornate meeting room at Trump Tower showed Abe accompanied only by an interpreter and Trump by his daughter Ivanka, her husband and Trump adviser Jared Kushner, and Retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn whom a senior Trump official said on Thursday had been offered the national security adviser position.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addresses media following a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

COMMON GROUND

Abe said he had agreed to meet again with Trump “at a convenient time to cover a wider area in greater depth.”

It was unclear if that would happen before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Trump official Kellyanne Conway told CBS earlier on Thursday that “any deeper conversations about policy and the relationship between Japan and the United States will have to wait until after the inauguration.”

Back in Tokyo, Finance Minister Taro Aso commented: “The meeting ran longer than planned, which means that they were on the same wavelength and it went well.”

Some of Trump’s campaign rhetoric suggested an image of Japan forged in the 1980s, when Tokyo was seen by many in the United States as a threat to jobs and a free-rider on defense.

A Trump adviser who spoke earlier in the week, however, stressed a more positive view and credited Abe with making changes.

“Frankly, the prime minister has been more assertive and forthright in trying to make those changes to Japan’s global posture,” he said.

Trump, a brash billionaire real estate magnate, and Abe, a political blue blood, share a stated desire to raise their countries’ global standing and both have support from right-wing constituencies.

Abe has boosted Japan’s overall defense spending since taking office in 2012. He has also stretched the limits of its pacifist postwar constitution to allow the military to take a bigger global role. Japan’s defense spending, though, still stands at just over 1 percent of GDP compared with more than 3 percent in the United States.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is taken in a motorcade to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Abe was expected to see Obama at an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru on the weekend. Hours before Abe and Trump met, Obama’s secretary of state, John Kerry, and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida met in Lima to discuss the Paris climate accord - a deal Trump has pledged to exit.

Diplomats and analysts say that however good the atmospherics, it will be hard to assess Trump’s policies on security issues ranging from overseas deployments of U.S. troops, China’s maritime assertiveness and the North Korean nuclear threat until Trump makes key appointments. </s> TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his Cabinet on Thursday, opting for seasoned party veterans to help restore his battered popularity.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who retained his post, announced the new lineup.

Abe’s approval ratings have suffered from a spate of scandals over alleged cronyism and other abuses and objections to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s tendency to force unpopular legislation through parliament.

The shakeup Thursday reflects Abe’s recognition that despite the Liberal Democrats’ overwhelming majority in parliament, his own once seemingly invincible position may be imperiled.

But plans for the reshuffle were disclosed weeks in advance, and it was not expected to have a major impact on the foreign policy or economy of America’s biggest ally in Asia.

The newly named ministers included many Cabinet veterans, including Itsunori Onodera, a former defense minister who again was named to that post.

Last week, Abe’s protege Tomomi Inada stepped down as defense minister after the disclosure that the ministry hid information about risks faced by Japanese peacekeeping troops in South Sudan. </s> TOKYO: Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe has reshuffled his Cabinet, opting for seasoned party veterans to help restore his battered popularity.Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who retained his post, announced the new lineup Thursday.Abe's approval ratings have suffered from a spate of scandals over alleged cronyism and other abuses. The shakeup Thursday was anticipated and was not expected to have a major impact on Japan's foreign policy or economy The newly named ministers included many Cabinet veterans, including Itsunori Onodera , a former defense minister who again was named to that post.Last week, Abe's protege, Tomomi Inada , stepped down as defense minister after the disclosure that the ministry hid information about risks faced by Japanese peacekeeping troops in South Sudan.
Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe appoints Tarō Kōno as Foreign Minister.