Sanae Takaichi is approaching a key inflection point in her tenure as prime minister. She is expected to reshuffle her Cabinet as early as Sept. 16 in a reset that will impact her management of party dynamics, the future of the ruling coalition and her prospects for remaining in power beyond next year. Cabinet reshuffles in Japan happen roughly once a year under Liberal Democratic Party-led governments.
They are typically used to manage intraparty dealings, influence public opinion and restructure legislative priorities. But this is not a typical year. The LDP presidential election is scheduled for autumn next year, meaning that this will likely be Takaichi’s last opportunity to reshape her Cabinet before she faces an internal leadership race.
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