Events and Announcements
	
    25 September 2008
	Mr. Taro Aso succeeded former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda as President of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) on September 22nd 2008, and was elected by the Japanese Diet as the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan on September 24th. Prime Minister Aso had previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007
      Shortly after assuming office Prime Minister Aso announced his new cabinet. Mr. Hirofumi Nakasone was appointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Mr. Nakasone was Minister for Education, Science, Sports and Culture in 2000. Minister Nakasone's full profile is available here.
The following is a list of the entire cabinet and their profiles
Prime Minister 
	  Aso, Taro (68) (LDP)
	  Nine-term member of  the House of Representatives from Fukuoka-8; LDP Secretary-General;  Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister of Internal Affairs and  Communications; Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy;  Director-General, Economic Planning Agency (Minister of State); LDP  Deputy Secretary-General
	  Gakushuin University
	  Born September 20, 1940
	  
	  Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications
      Minister of State for Decentralization Reform
      Hatoyama, Kunio (60) (LDP)  
	  Ten-term  member of the House of Representatives from Fukuoka-6; Minister of  Justice; Chairman, House of Representatives Special Committee on  Responses to Armed Attacks; Chairman, House of Representatives  Committee on Rules and Administration; Labour Minister; Education  Minister
	  University of Tokyo 
	  Born September 13, 1948
	  
	  Minister of Justice 
      Mori, Eisuke (60) (LDP)
	  Six-term  member of the House of Representatives from Chiba-11; Deputy Chairman,  LDP General Council; Director, House of Representatives Committee on  Budget; LDP Executive Deputy Secretary-General; Deputy Minister of  Health, Labour and Welfare; Director, House of Representatives  Committee on Foreign Affairs; LDP Deputy Secretary-General
	  Tohoku University 
	  Born August 31, 1948
	  
	  Minister for Foreign Affairs 
      Nakasone, Hirofumi (62) (LDP)
	  Four-term  member of the House of Councilors from Gunma; Chairman, House of  Councillors Standing Committee on Discipline; Chairman, House of  Councillors Standing Committee on Budget; Minister of Education,  concurrently Director-General, Science and Technology Agency (Minister  of State); Chairman, House of Councillors Standing Committee on Rules  and Administration
	  Keio University 
	  Born November 28, 1945
	  
	  Minister of Finance
      Minister of State for Financial Services 
      Nakagawa, Shoichi (55) (LDP)
	  Eight-term  member of the House of Representatives from Hokkaido-11; Chairman, LDP  Policy Research Council; Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and  Fisheries; Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; Chairman, LDP Party  Organization Headquarters; Chairman, LDP Public Relations Headquarters;  LDP Deputy Secretary-General 
	  University of Tokyo
	  Born July 19, 1953
	  
	  Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
      Shionoya, Ryu (58) (LDP) 
	  Five-term  member of the House of Representatives from Shizuoka-8; Deputy Chief  Cabinet Secretary; Senior Vice-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports,  Science and Technology; Director, LDP Education, Culture, Sports,  Science, and Technology Division; Deputy Director-General, Management  and Coordination Agency 
	  Keio University
	  Born February 18, 1950
	  
	  Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
      Masuzoe, Yoichi (59) (LDP)
	  Two-term  member of the House of Councillors (proportional representation);  Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare; Chairman, LDP Policy Board in  the House of Councillors; Associate Professor, College of Arts and  Sciences, University of Tokyo
	  University of Tokyo
	  Born November 29, 1948
	  
	  Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 
      Ishiba, Shigeru (51) (LDP)
	  Seven-term  member of the House of Representatives from Tottori-1; Minister of  Defense; Senior Vice Minister for Defense; Senior Vice Minister of  Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Chairman, House of Representatives  Committee on Transport
	  Keio University
	  Born February 4, 1957
	  
	  Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
      Nikai, Toshihiro (69) (LDP)
	  Eight-term  member of the House of Representatives from Wakayama-3; Minister of  Economy, Trade and Industry; Chairman, LDP General Council;  Director-General, LDP Election Bureau; Chairman, House of  Representatives Special Committee on Postal Privatization; Minister of  Transport and Director-General of the Hokkaido Development Agency 
	  Chuo University
	  Born February 17, 1939
	  
	  Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
      Kaneko, Kazuyoshi (65) (LDP) 
	  Seven-term  member of the House of Representatives from Gifu-4; Chairman, LDP  Research Commission on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises; Chairman,  House of Representatives Committee on Budget; Deputy Chairman, LDP  Research Commission on the Tax System; State Minister for Regulatory  Reform, Industrial Revitalization Corporation, Administrative Reform,  Special Zones for Structural Reform 
	  Keio University
	  Born December 20, 1942
	  
	  Minister of the Environment
      Saitou, Tetsuo (56) (New Komeito) 
	  Five-term  member of the House of Representatives from Chugoku district  (proportional representation); Minister of the Environment; Chairman,  New Komeito Policy Research Council; Chairman, House of Representatives  Committee on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 
	  Tokyo Institute of Technology
	  Born February 5, 1952
	  
	  Minister of Defense
      Hamada, Yasukazu (52) (LDP)
	  Five-term  member of the House of Representatives from Chiba-12; Chairman, LDP  Research Commission on Fishery Policies; Chairman, House of  Representatives Special Committee on Prevention of International  Terrorism and Japan’s Cooperation; Chairman, House of Representatives  Committee on Security; Deputy Director-General, Defense Agency
	  Senshu University
	  Born October 21, 1955
	  
	  Chief Cabinet Secretary
      Minister of State for the Abduction Issue 
      Kawamura, Takeo (65) (LDP)
	  Six-term  member of the House of Representatives from Yamaguchi-3; Chairman, LDP  Public Relations Headquarters; Minister of Education, Culture, Sports,  Science and Technology, Senior Vice-Minister of Education, Culture,  Sports, Science and Technology, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Justice
	  Keio University
	  Born November 10, 1942
	  
	  Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission
      Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
      Minister of State for Disaster Management
      Sato, Tsutomu (56) (LDP)
	  Four-term  member of the House of Representatives from Tochigi-4; Senior  Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications; Director, LDP  Public Management, Homes Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications  Division; Parliamentary Secretary of Health, Labour and Welfare
	  Nihon University
	  Born June 20, 1952
	  
	  Minister of State for Regulatory Reform
      Minister of State for Administrative Reform
      Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
      Yosano, Kaoru (70) (LDP)
	  Nine-term  member of the House of Representatives from Tokyo-1; Minister of State  for Economic and Fiscal Policy; Chief Cabinet Secretary; Chairman, LDP  Research Commission on the Tax System; Minister of State for Economic  and Fiscal Policy and for Financial Services; Chairman, LDP Policy  Research Council 
	  University of Tokyo
	  Born August 22, 1938
	  
	  Minister of State for Civil Service Reform
      Amari, Akira (59) (LDP)
	  Eight-term  member of the House of Representatives from Kanagawa-13; Minister of  Economy, Trade and Industry; Chairman, House of Representatives  Committee on Budget; Minister of Labour; Parliamentary Vice-Minister of  International Trade and Industry
	  Keio Unoversity
	  Born August 27, 1949
	  
	  Minister of State for Consumer Affairs
      Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
      Minister of State for Food Safety 
      Noda, Seiko (Ms) (48) (LDP)
	  Five-term  member of the House of Representatives from Gifu-1; Minister of State  for Science and Technology Policy, Food Safety, Consumer Affairs and  Space Policy; Director, House of Representatives Committee on Financial  Affairs; Acting Chairman, LDP Public Relations Headquarters and  concurrently Director, Publicity Division; Posts and Telecommunications  Minister; Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Posts and Telecommunications
	  Sophia University 
	  Born September 3, 1960
	  
	  Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate
      Minister of State for Gender Equality
      Obuchi, Yuko (Ms) (34) (LDP)
	  Third-term  member of the House of Representatives from Gunma-5; Director, House of  Representatives Committee on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and  Technology; Director, LDP Publicity Division; Vice Minister of  Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
	  Seijo University 
	  Born December 11, 1973 
Source: Foreign Press Center Japan

