Abe Extends The Right Hand.docVIP

Abe Extends The Right Hand 　　Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe finalized his cabinet reshuffle on August 3， his third such maneuver since he took office in 2012. Through the latest reorganization， Abe seeks to create a cabinet favorable to the continuation of the leader’s policy. 　　The semi-new cabinet―nine of the previous 19 cabinet ministers retained their positions―is also notable for the increased prevalence of right-wing sentiment， embodied most visibly by the eye-catching appointment of Tomomi Inada as defense minister. 　　 Looking right 　　The core purpose of Abe’s reshuffle is to maintain stability in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party （LDP） and consolidate the leader’s position through the rotation of ministers among the handful of top-level cabinet positions. 　　The bulk of Abe’s cabinet ministers are part of a cross-party coalition of conservative parliamentarians. By and large， they support Abe’s ideology and policies， thus Abe’s position has been strengthened following the changes. Among the 19 ministers， 13 are part of the coalition， the largest number in Abe’s cabinet since 2012. 　　The move is likely to boost Abe’s efforts to amend Japan’s pacifist constitution adopted after World War II （WWII） as an effort to prevent Japan from entering into war again in the future. At a conservative coalition assembly last November， the prime minister called for unity in altering the legal framework established after WWII. Having gained seats in July’s Upper House election， Abe’s ruling coalition now controls over two thirds of seats in both chambers， a vital step for constitutional change， since it requires such a majority to initiate an amendment. Particular focus is set to be paid to Article 9， the heart of the constitution， which stipulates that “the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes.” 　　Inada， 57 years old， may be only Japan’s second