Keiichi Ishii, retained as land, infrastructure, transport and tourism minister, is a policy savvy member of the ruling coalition’s junior partner Komeito party seen as a potential next leader of the party.

The 59-year-old bureaucrat-turned-House of Representatives member served as policy chief of Komeito for around five years before being appointed as minister in 2015.

In the revamped Cabinet, Ishii is the sole member of Komeito.

After graduating from the University of Tokyo, Ishii, a native of Tokyo, joined the now-defunct Construction Ministry before entering the political arena. He also served as a senior vice finance minister between 2003 and 2004.