Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to appoint Hiromasa Nakano as the new land minister, a decision aimed at maintaining a member of the junior coalition partner Komeito in the Cabinet. Nakano, a 46-year-old Lower House member in his fifth term and previously a land ministry bureaucrat, currently leads Komeito’s economy, trade, and industry division. The move comes as Komeito had requested Nakano's appointment to replace the current land minister Tetsuo Saito, who is anticipated to step down and assume the role of Komeito's new leader.
Saito is expected to be elected as Komeito’s chief representative at a party convention on November 9, following the resignation of Keiichi Ishii due to the party’s losses in the recent Lower House election. Should Ishiba be reappointed as prime minister at a special Diet session on November 11, he plans to form a new Cabinet that includes Nakano as the new land minister. Additionally, Justice Minister Hideki Makihara and Agriculture Minister Yasuhiro Ozato lost their seats in the election, leading to Ishiba's decision to appoint Keisuke Suzuki as the new justice minister and Taku Eto as the new agriculture minister, while retaining other ministers within the Cabinet.
Suzuki, a 47-year-old member in his sixth term and a former state minister for foreign affairs, is associated with the LDP’s Aso faction and confirmed speaking at a meeting of an organization connected to the Unification Church. On the other hand, Eto, a 64-year-old eight-term Lower House member who previously served as agriculture minister in the Abe Cabinet, is poised to take over the agriculture ministry. With these potential cabinet reshuffles and appointments, Ishiba aims to solidify his team as he navigates political changes and leadership shifts within the government.