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2026-09-16 09:38:08
[Sanae Takaichi Makes First Reshuffle of LDP Top Leaders: Retains Taro Aso, Shunichi Suzuki, etc., Paving the Way for Extraordinary Diet Session Legislative Agenda] (1) Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retained several top leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Wednesday, marking her first personnel reshuffle since taking the helm of the ruling party about a year ago. (2) She retained influential former Prime Minister Taro Aso as Vice President and her brother-in-law Shunichi Suzuki as Secretary-General, while also retaining Takayuki Kobayashi as Chairman of the Policy Research Council, seeking to maintain continuity before the legislative agenda, which may fill the year-end, becomes full. (3) This reshuffle took place before the cabinet change in Takaichi on Thursday; meanwhile, the ruling coalition of the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party is preparing for an extraordinary Diet session that may be held in early October. (4) The session may deliberate on a two-year plan to reduce the food consumption tax from 8% to 1% starting in April, as well as a controversial political reform bill to reduce the number of Diet seats; the bill led to a boycott by the opposition in the previous session.
