ABE'S CONSERVATIVE CABINET

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 005600 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT. PLEASE PASS TO USTR/WENDY CUTLER, MICHAEL BEEMAN. PLEASE PASS TO USDA FAS WASHDC USDA/FFAS FAS/ITP; FAS/FAA/IO/NA COMMERCE PLEASE PASS TO JAPAN DESK/NICOLE MELCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/26/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON JA SUBJECT: ABE'S CONSERVATIVE CABINET Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. For reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary. On September 26 newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo ABE announced his Cabinet. In general, he made conservative choices and included many politicians with whom he has close relations as well as those who actively supported his campaign. Despite Abe's claim that he would avoid appointing a Cabinet based on factional strength, the largest Mori faction -- and his former faction -- received the most appointments. Abe's Ministers will likely form a Cabinet of congeniality and consensus but they may lack the clout and experience to strong-arm bureaucrats, the opposition party, and contrarian ruling party politicians into passing legislation. One Embassy contact commented that he feared this Cabinet will not help ABE win next summer's Upper House election. Of note are those who failed to get a seat: Kaoru Yosano, reportedly because he is overly influenced by the Ministry of Finance, and Abe's other Prime Ministerial rival Sadakazu Tanigaki. The following is a full list of the Cabinet Members and their biographies, which can be used as a reference. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) A full list of Ministers, their portfolios, and the paragraph where his/her biography is located: Yasuhisa SHIOZAKI (Rep) (para. 3) Chief Cabinet Secretary Minister of State for Abduction Issues Yoshihide SUGA (Rep) (para. 4) Minister of Internal Affairs & Communication and Minister of State for Privatization of Postal Services Jinen NAGASE (Rep) (para. 5) Minister of Justice Taro ASO (Rep) (para. 6) Minister for Foreign Affairs Koji OMI (Rep) (para. 7) Minister of Finance Bunmei IBUKI (Rep) (para. 8) Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, S&T Hakuo YANAGISAWA (Rep) (para. 9) Minister Health, Labor and Welfare Toshikatsu MATSUOKA (Rep) (para. 10) Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Akira AMARI (Rep) (para. 11) Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Tetsuzo FUYUSHIBA (Rep) (para. 12) Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Masatoshi WAKABAYASHI (Rep) (para. 13) Minister of the Environment Kensei MIZOTE (C) (para. 14) Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission and Minister of State for Disaster Management Fumio KYUMA (Rep) (para. 15) Minister of State for Defense Yuji YAMAMOTO (Rep) (para. 16) Minister of State for Financial Services and Minister of State for Second Chance Hiroko OTA (private sector) (para. 17) Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Genichiro SADA (Rep) (para. 18) Minister of State for Administrative Reform Minister of State for Regulatory Reform Minister of State for Civil Service Reform Minister of State for Regional Revitalization TOKYO 00005600 002 OF 008 Minister of State for "Regional Bloc (doshusei)" System Sanae TAKAICHI (Rep) (para. 19) Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State for Science and Technology Minister for Youth Affairs and Measures for Declining Birthrate Minister of State for Food Safety Minister of State for Innovation ¶3. (SBU) Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minister of State for Abduction Issues -- Yasuhisa SHIOZAKI is a fourth-term Lower House member representing Ehime 1st district, first elected in 1993. He was also elected once to the Upper House in ¶1995. He does not belong to one of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) factions. Shiozaki has been serving as Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs since November 2005. He has held a number of positions related to financial issues and judicial affairs, both within the party and in the Diet, including: Vice Minister at the Ministry of Finance (1997-1998),Chairman of the LDP Treasury and Finance Division (2002-2003),and Chairman of the LDP Judicial Affairs Division. Shiozaki has gained a reputation as an outspoken reformer on political and financial issues and is described by colleagues as "the person to watch on reform." He is highly regarded for spearheading financial sector reforms under former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and for his commitment to deregulating financial services. While Shiozaki has some detractors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA),he is known to be a close advisor to Abe. Some political observers have indicated concern that Shiozaki lacks the network among politicians and bureaucrats to successfully negotiate. Shiozaki was born in Osaka in 1950. He graduated from Tokyo University in 1975 with a degree in American Studies and also earned a master's degree from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in 1982. Before entering politics, Shiozaki worked for the Bank of Japan. His father was also a Diet member from Ehime Prefecture and a bureaucrat in the Finance Ministry. Shiozaki is married with two sons and speaks excellent English. His hobbies include music appreciation and hiking. ¶4. (SBU) Minister of Internal Affairs & Communication, Minister of State for Privatization of Postal Services -- Yoshihide SUGA, 58, is a fourth term member of the Lower House representing Kanagawa 2nd district, first elected in ¶1996. Suga is considered a close ally of Abe, both cheerleader and advisor, whose views closely reflect Abe's thinking. Suga organized the cross-factional ABE support group among younger members of the LDP in June 2006, enlisting 100 lawmakers to back Abe's "Second Chance" initiative. (Comment: the so-called "Second Chance" campaign is designed to give people who have failed in business a second chance. End comment.) In June 2005 Suga joined an LDP study group formed to support Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine. Suga also chaired an LDP study group to study economic sanctions on North Korea in October 2004. Although considered a loyal supporter of Koizumi's reform agenda throughout the Koizumi administration, the media describe Suga as a party-oriented politician rather than a policy-oriented one. Formerly a member of the Kochikai faction, Suga now belongs to the Niwa/Koga group. He served in several posts in the Koizumi Administration including as LDP Deputy Secretary General (2001),Parliamentary Secretary for MLIT (2002),Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) (2003),and the LDP's Deputy Chairman for the Diet Affairs Committee (2004). He was appointed Senior Vice Minister for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (MIC) in November 2005 where he was responsible for postal privatization and telecommunications issues. At MIC he was considered a strong supporter of former MIC Minister Takenaka. Despite that, his specific views on postal privatization are unknown among those who have closely followed the debate on postal privatization. Suga was born in the northern Prefecture of Akita, the first son of a farmer. After graduating high school in Akita, he left for Tokyo and graduated from Hosei University's Faculty of Law. He worked as secretary for Hikosaburo Okonogi, a member of the Lower House, for 11 TOKYO 00005600 003 OF 008 years. In 1987 Suga was elected to the Yokohama City Council. He still lives in an apartment in Yokohama City with his wife and three sons. His policy interests include economic sanctions against North Korea, illegal immigration, reform of the social insurance system, public safety, youth baseball and soccer. Suga enjoys eating candy, bread and seafood. He does not drink alcohol. Hobbies include karaoke, jogging and fishing. ¶5. (SBU) Minister of Justice -- Jinen NAGASE is a six-term Lower House member representing Toyama 1st District and was first elected in 1990. He is a member of the Mori faction, the largest in the Diet and the former faction of Koizumi and Abe. Nagase served as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary under Abe beginning in October 2005. He previously held high-level posts at the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labor during the administration of Prime Minister Mori (2000-2001), and the Ministry of Health and Welfare under Prime Minister Murayama (1995). His widest Diet and party experience is in health, welfare, and labor -- exactly the issues that will resonate most with voters in the 2007 unified local and Upper House Diet elections. He has authored numerous books on those issues as well. Nagase's name was not mentioned in press reports as a contender for a ministerial assignment, but he obviously gained the trust of ABE through their close working relationship in the Cabinet Secretariat. Nagase was born in 1943 and is a graduate of Tokyo University. He enjoys playing golf and Japanese chess. ¶6. (SBU) Minister for Foreign Affairs -- Taro ASO was reappointed to the post he has held since October 2005. He is a nine-term Lower House member representing Fukuoka 8th district, first elected in 1979. He has just assumed the leadership of the LDP's smallest faction, the Kono Group. Aso previously served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communication (2003-2005) and Minister of Economic and Fiscal Policy (2001). He has also held senior executive posts within the ruling LDP, including Chairman of the Policy Affairs Research Council (2001-2003). Aso is widely regarded as an expert in economic affairs. He ran as one of three candidates in the September 20 LDP presidential elections finishing second to Abe. His strong finish, despite a lack of organized support from any of the larger LDP factions, surprised many observers, and speaks to his broad network of ties among senior LDP politicians. Aso sought to distinguish himself from ABE during the campaign by promising to take a more conciliatory approach to relations with China and Korea, despite a history of criticizing China and fostering close ties to Taiwan. At the same time, he made clear in his policy platform that the U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of Japan's foreign policy. Aso has an aristocratic pedigree -- his grandfather was former Prime Minister Yoshida and he is related to the royal family by marriage -- and a reputation as an elitist to match. He is sometimes criticized for his connection to the family mining and cement business, which has been accused of using forced labor during World War II. While he is known to be friendly and engaging in person, he is somewhat less comfortable with large groups. He appears relatively popular at MOFA, where his reappointment was widely anticipated. Aso, who was born in 1940, received his undergraduate degree from Takushuin University and graduate degrees from Stanford and the University of London. He represented Japan in skeet shooting at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. His wife is the daughter of former Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki. He is an avid golfer. He speaks excellent English. ¶7. (SBU) Minister of Finance -- Koji OMI, 73, is an eighth-term member of the Lower House representing the North Kanto district and Gunma 1st district alternatively, first elected in 1983. He belongs to the Mori faction, which is also Abe,s former faction, and was a prominent supporter of Koizumi. He served as a Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI - now METI) bureaucrat from 1956 to 1982. He has occupied a number of prominent Diet posts, including Parliamentary Vice Minister for Finance; Chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance; Director General of three LDP bureaus; and Acting Secretary General of the LDP. A vocal advocate of technology research promotion, he played a TOKYO 00005600 004 OF 008 central role in sponsoring and enacting the Basic Law on Science and Technology in 1995. Omi has twice served in the Cabinet: as Minister of State for Economic Planning (1997-98) and Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs and for Science and Technology Policy (2001-02). He has also served as the Secretary General of the Japan-Iran Parliamentary Friendship League. A prominent figure in science and technology policy, he founded the Science and Technology in Society Forum, which meets annually in Kyoto with the aim of building a worldwide network among scientists, policymakers and business people. He is also known as a prominent figure in tax affairs. A Yomiuri newspaper report once noted that while Omi is regarded as enthusiastic about party issues among his party colleagues, he is also known to be stubborn and lacking in consideration for others. Omi is married, with one daughter, and is a graduate of Hitotsubashi University. We believe he speaks English, having served a four-year stint as an energy attach at the Japanese mission in New York during the first oil crisis of the 1970s, though it is unclear whether he would be willing to converse in English during official meetings. His hobbies include the game of Go and taking walks. ¶8. (SBU) Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, S&T -- Bunmei IBUKI, 68, is a member of the Lower House representing Kyoto 1st district since 1983; this is his 7th term and he won by a large margin in the September 2005 election. Ibuki is the head of the Ibuki faction in the LDP and a strong backer of the new ABE administration. Born into a traditional textile wholesaler family dating back to the Edo Period, Ibuki is a true-bred son of Kyoto. He is well-liked by his colleagues for his humble attitude and for taking good care of people around him. Ibuki seems to be an open and outgoing politician as his website features several pictures from his birth to his days in the Diet, and he claims to maintain a wide variety of friends, including scholars, businessmen, diplomats, and political pundits. One of his most recent high-profile responsibilities included acting as Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission. A graduate of Kyoto University, Ibuki entered the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and served at the Budget Bureau and the International Finance Bureau before quitting the Ministry to try his hand at national politics. He served as Labor Minister under the late Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto. Previous government and LDP jobs include Parliamentary Vice Health Minister and chairman of the Lower House Committee on Education. Ibuki speaks fluent English, having served at the Japanese Embassy in London for four years in the 1960s. He is married with a son and daughter. He is an avid tennis player, enjoys the Japanese game of "Go," appreciates the Japanese traditional comic storytelling called "rakugo," and likes cooking and participating in study circles. Ibuki is also the author of several books focused on politics in Japan, particularly concerning Japan's vision for the future. ¶9. (SBU) Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare -- Hakuo YANAGISAWA, 71, is an eight term member of the Lower House representing Shizuoka 3rd district, first elected in 1980. He belongs to the Niwa-Koga faction and served as chief of Abe's LDP Presidential election committee. Yanagisawa recently was Chairman of LDP's Research Commission on the Tax System. He was also Chief of the National Land Agency and Minister for Financial Services in the Obuchi Cabinet and Minister for Financial Services in the reshuffled second Mori Cabinet and the first two Koizumi Cabinets. Yanagisawa was Acting Chairman of the LDP's Policy Research Council from 2003. A graduate of the University of Tokyo, he started his career as a MOF bureaucrat in 1961. While at MOF he worked at the Japanese Consulate in New York for four years. He has shown interest in a broad range of issues including agricultural policy and diplomacy as well as fiscal and monetary policy. Yanagisawa is a very capable and well-respected member of the Diet. Although his background is in financial policy, his views appear to be very well balanced. He is also considered to be a reformer. Within the LDP Yanagisawa has been leading the discussion about financial reconstruction through tax increases. He is married to a printmaker and has two daughters. He enjoys the opera and shopping in antiquarian bookstores. TOKYO 00005600 005 OF 008 ¶10. (SBU) Minister of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries -- Toshikatsu MATSUOKA, 61, has been elected to the House of Representatives as a member of the LDP's Kamei Faction six consecutive times. He was an official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (MAFF) during 1969-1988. Matsuoka is considered one of the hardliner agricultural caucus members of the LDP. He has been a key member in all aspects of agriculture policy discussions including the WTO. He has exercised tremendous influence on policymaking and personnel decisions at MAFF such that no major policy or personnel changes are realized unless Matsuoka approves. Despite his protectionist assertion -- viewed as coercive at times -- he has realized that "aggressive protectionism" alone is not in sync with the current irreversible trend of trade liberalization. His new mantra is to promote exports of Japan's farm products, calling them the "Rolls Royces" of agricultural products. He has played a pivotal role in advancing the U.S.-Japan bilateral discussion on a special program to allow U.S. exports of fresh potatoes for potato chip manufacturing. In the most recent election in September 2005, he received significant backing from Japan's Food Service Association. He has been supportive of expedited trade resumption of U.S. beef. Matsuoka is married and has two sons, ages 35 and 30. He speaks very little English. His hobbies include reading books and playing sports. ¶11. (SBU) Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry -- Akira AMARI, 57, is an eight-term member of the Lower House, representing Kanagawa District 13. The son of a former Lower House Diet member, he belongs to the Yamazaki Faction of the LDP and served as Labor Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Obuchi (1998). Most recently, he played the role of Acting Chairman of the LDP's Policy Research Council. In the Diet, Amari has specialized in issues related to commerce and industry, having served for a long time on the Party's Committee on Organizations Involved with Commerce, Industry, and Medium and Small Enterprises, including as chairman. He has also demonstrated a strong interest in energy and intellectual property issues as evidenced by bills he has sponsored in the Diet. Amari is a graduate of Keio University and worked for two and a half years at Sony Corporation. He then became his father's personal secretary for nine years before being elected to the Diet himself in ¶1983. According to an official of the Americas Division at METI, Amari is an "old-fashioned" Diet member likely to follow the lead of the bureaucrats in the Ministry, "wanting to be supported by the bureaucracy rather than to dominate it." The METI contact characterized Amari as "moderate" on reform, saying he would likely back those reforms METI has pursued with the support of big business but that he would also be protective of small and medium-sized enterprises. On foreign policy, the METI official said there would be "no surprises"; Amari lacks extreme views on the order of his two immediate predecessors, Toshihiro Nikai and Shoichi Nakagawa. Although Amari has shown more interest in Asia lately, he is familiar with issues related to the United States. His hobbies include art and movies. ¶12. (SBU) Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport -- Tetsuzo FUYUSHIBA, age 70, is a seven-term member of the Lower House representing the Hyogo 8th district and was first elected to the Diet in 1986. The Secretary General for the LDP's junior partner New Komeito, he is the only member of that party to receive a post in Abe's cabinet. Fuyushiba graduated from the Faculty of Law at Kansai University and has focused his career on advocating for society's disadvantaged and mentally and physically challenged individuals. Fuyushiba has previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs (under then Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa). He is viewed as a pragmatist and is one of several lawmakers calling for the construction of a secular war memorial to relieve tensions over visits to Yasukuni. He is well know to the Consulate in Osaka-Kobe and one of the few Komeito politicians who has attended Self Defense Force (SDF) events. He publicly supported the SDF mission in Iraq. Fuyushiba is married, has three sons and one daughter, and he enjoys fine arts and ceramics. TOKYO 00005600 006 OF 008 ¶13. (SBU) Minister of the Environment -- Masatoshi WAKABAYASHI, 72, is a second-term member of the House of Councilors representing Nagano. He was first elected to the Japanese House of Representatives from Nagano in 1983 and served three terms before being elected to the House of Councilors in 1998 and again in 2004. He is a member of the LDP's Mori faction, and he served as Senior Vice Minister of Finance in the Mori administration and again in the Koizumi administration. As Vice Minister, he represented Japan at international meetings of development organizations such as the African Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Wakabayashi graduated from University of Tokyo's Faculty of Law in 1957. Prior to becoming a politician he served at MAFF for 26 years. He has also published three books on agricultural and technological policy. His favorite sport is judo. He is married. We have not see any indication that he speaks English. ¶14. (SBU) Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, Minister of State for Disaster Management -- Kensei MIZOTE is a third-term Upper House member representing Hiroshima, who first won office in 1993. He is a member of the Niwa-Koga faction, the third largest in the LDP. Mizote was not particularly well known prior to this assignment and his name was not on any short lists in the media. Until his Cabinet appointment, he served as Chairman of both the Upper House Steering Committee and the Fiscal and Financial Affairs Committee. His only cabinet experience was as Parliamentary Secretary at METI under Prime Minster Hashimoto. He has also SIPDIS served in a wide variety of party posts within the Diet, including his recent role in drafting fiscal affairs provisions for a proposed new constitution. Mizote has a background in industry, having worked for the predecessor of Nippon Steel, and eventually rose to become CEO of Koyo Ship Building. He earned his political stripes at the local level, serving twice as Mayor of Mihara City, outside of Hiroshima, before running for national office. Mizote was born in 1942, and is a graduate of University of Tokyo, where he was captain of the American Football Club. He is married with a son and a daughter. His hobbies include cooking, reading, and watching sports. ¶15. (SBU) Minister of State for Defense -- Fumio KYUMA, 66, is a ninth-term member of the Lower House representing Nagasaki 2nd district, first elected in 1980. Kyuma is a senior member of the Tsushima Faction and served as Chairman of the LDP Executive Council before his September 26 cabinet appointment. Kyuma is a veteran LDP defense specialist and enjoys close ties with U.S. and Japanese defense industries. During his last posting as Defense Minister, from 1996-1997, Kyuma oversaw the completion of the Revised U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines and Special Action Committee for Okinawa (SACO) agreement. Kyuma has a reputation as a solid, if unimaginative, defense policy player. He is a long-time personal friend of Aso, but his relations with fellow faction member and immediate predecessor Fukushiro Nukaga are reportedly strained. Kyuma openly opposed a run by Nukaga in this September's LDP Presidential election, instead advocating that the faction back Abe. Kyuma is considered a political benefactor of Japan Defense Agency (JDA) Administrative Vice Minister Takemasa Moriya. Kyuma's political career has been dogged by scandal allegations and links with the criminal underworld. Earlier this year, there were widespread rumors of Kyuma's involvement in bid-rigging related to runway construction at MCAS Iwakuni. While Kyuma has generally been a strong supporter of the alliance, he has a long record of criticizing U.S.-Iraq policy both before and after the removal of Saddam Hussein. His hobbies include kendo (Japanese fencing),shogi (Japanese chess),and Go. He is reportedly quite accomplished and has achieved grades in each. ¶16. (SBU) Minister of State for Financial Services, Minister of State for Second Chance -- Yuji YAMAMOTO, 54, is an LDP member of the Lower House representing Kochi 3rd District, first elected in 1985. A 1977 graduate of Waseda University, this is Yamamoto's first Cabinet appointment, although he served as Senior Vice Minister of Finance under Koizumi from TOKYO 00005600 007 OF 008 ¶2003. As head of the LDP Treasury Bureau, and chairman of the Abe-supporting Parliamentary League Supporting Society With Second Chance, this member of the Komura faction was widely projected to become a Cabinet member. Yamamoto started the cross-factional Second Chance group with 17 other Diet members in May 2006, declaring their primary purpose to be the development of policies addressing the growing economic imbalance in Japanese society. At the time, Yamamoto stated, "In a way, forming a group across the factions is a new experiment in an era when the strength of factions has weakened. Had my faction ordered me not to (form this group),I probably would have left because I was eager to give Japan a new prime minister who would create a new political era." In his spare time Yamamoto enjoys jogging, tennis, golf, and reading. ¶17. (SBU) Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy -- Hiroko OTA, 52, hails from the private sector and is not a parliamentarian. She joined the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in 1997 where she has been a professor since 2001. Her focus is on public sector economics and she also specializes in analysis of the Japanese economy. From 2002 to 2004, Ota served in the Cabinet Office as Director General for Policy Planning in charge of economic and fiscal policy, and then returned to GRIPS. She has served as a committee member on the Committee Considering Competition Policy Approaches for the 21st Century, and recently as a member of the Postal Services Privatization Committee. Following her graduation from Hitotsubashi University, Ota joined Mikimoto Corporation in 1976, before becoming a research associate at the Japan Institution of Life Insurance in 1981. Ota worked at the Institution until 1993, at which time she became a guest lecturer in the Economics Department of Osaka University. In 1996, she became an associate professor at Saitama University,s Graduate School of Policy Science. She has also served as a corporate auditor for Orix Corporation,s Board of Directors. At the time of the formation of the 2004 Koizumi Cabinet, Ota was rumored to be in the running for the position that she has now achieved. ¶18. (SBU) Minister of State for Administrative Reform, Minister of State for Regulatory Reform, Minister of State for Civil Service Reform, Minister of State for Regional Revitalization, Minister of State for "Regional Bloc (doshusei)" System -- Genichiro SADA, 54, is a sixth term member of the Lower House representing Gunma 1st district, and was first elected to public office in 1990 at the age of ¶38. A member of the Tsushima faction, Sata was appointed to a ministerial post to compensate for his faction not receiving one of the top three executive posts within the LDP. He also chaired a group of mid-level Diet members which backed Abe. An engineer by training, Sada served as then Finance Minister Noboru Takeshita's secretary before becoming a Diet member. Most recently, Sada served as MIC Senior Vice Minister in 2002. Previous positions include Parliamentary Secretary on Postal Affairs (under then Prime Minister Mori), SIPDIS on Education (under then Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto) and on Finance (under then Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama). Sada is a graduate of Hokkaido University and enjoys reading and golf. ¶19. (SBU) Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, Minister of State for Science and Technology, Minister for Youth Affairs and Measures for Declining Birthrate, Minister of State for Food Safety, Minister of State for Innovation -- Sanae TAKAICHI, 45, is a first-time Cabinet member and will be wearing several hats. (Comment: The Innovation portfolio is new to the cabinet and was a position ABE promised to create if he was elected prime minister. End comment.) While Takaichi was first elected to the Diet in 1993 to represent Nara as an independent, she is now a member of the LDP Mori faction. Takaichi served three terms until April 2004 when she resigned to join Kinki University's Faculty of Economics. In September 2005, she was again elected to the Diet from Nara. While in the Diet she was chair of the Education and Science Committee and served as MITI (now METI) Vice Minister in the Obuchi Cabinet and METI Senior Vice Minister in the last Koizumi Cabinet. TOKYO 00005600 008 OF 008 Takaichi places great great importance on amending the Constitution and the Education Law. She has also said she would never allow a foreign country's interference in Japanese domestic matters such as what textbooks to adopt and how to console the war dead. During an appearance on a recent Sunday morning talk show she severely criticized a Chinese scholar for China's anti-Japan education. Takaichi has also emphasized the importance of establishing food security in Japan by increasing self-sufficiency. She admires former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and intends to become the Iron Lady of Japan in the future. Takaichi is a graduate of Kobe University's Faculty of Management and the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management. In 1987 she worked as staff member for Congresswoman Pat Schroeder. Her hobbies are scuba diving, music (she was a drummer in a heavy metal band as a student), and martial arts. She is married to LDP Diet member Taku Yamamoto. SCHIEFFER