All national dailies led with the anticipated new lineup of Prime Minister Abe’s new cabinet, which will be officially announced today. The papers wrote that Abe has decided to appoint Shinjiro Koizumi to a ministerial post for the first time. With most of the current cabinet members set to be replaced, the makeup of Abe’s new cabinet will likely include Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura as economic revitalization minister and Isshu Sugawara as trade minister. Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Katsuyuki Kawai, will probably become justice minister; Koichi Hagiuda, LDP Deputy Secretary General, is expected to serve as education minister; Katsunobu Kato, currently Chairman of the LDP General Council, is likely to be reinstalled as health minister; and Taku Eto will probably be tapped as farm minister.

Among other key ministerial posts, Foreign Minister Kono is expected to become defense minister, while Economic Revitalization Minister Motegi will likely to be appointed as foreign minister. Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga and Finance Minister Taro Aso, who doubles as deputy prime minister, are the only cabinet members set to retain their posts.