Kan Cabinet

The Kan Cabinet was the cabinet governing Japan from June 2010 to September 2011 under the leadership of Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who came into power after winning the DPJ leadership election in June 2010. The Kan Cabinet oversaw the response to the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the scaling-down of Japan's nuclear energy dependence following the nuclear disaster at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Kan Cabinet

94th Cabinet of Japan
Prime Minister Naoto Kan (front row, centre) with his new cabinet inside the Kantei, June 8, 2010.
Date formedJune 8, 2010
Date dissolvedSeptember 2, 2011
People and organisations
Head of stateEmperor Akihito
Head of governmentNaoto Kan
Member partyDPJPNP Coalition
Status in legislatureHoR: DPJ–PNP Coalition majority
HoC: DPJ–PNP Coalition majority, minority from July 2010
Opposition partyLiberal Democratic Party of Japan
Opposition leaderSadakazu Tanigaki
History
Election(s)2010 Japanese House of Councillors election
PredecessorHatoyama Cabinet
SuccessorNoda Cabinet

Political background

The previous Prime Minister and DPJ president, Yukio Hatoyama resigned on 2 June 2010 on the background of an unpopular deal with the United States to retain the American military base in Okinawa and the DPJ's low poll numbers. Hatoyama's resignation triggered a DPJ presidential election, which was won by Finance Minister Naoto Kan. On 8 June, Kan was formally appointed by the Emperor as Japan's 94th Prime Minister.[1] The new prime minister conducted a cabinet reshuffle and promoted some senior party members to important portfolios, notable Yoshihiko Noda to the Ministry of Finance and Yoshito Sengoku to the Cabinet Secretariat. Kan became the second DPJ prime minister in just eight months.

In spite of a temporary recovery in approval ratings, the government lost its majority in the House of Councillors in the July 2010 election and was subsequently dependent on parts of the opposition for getting any bill through the now-divided Diet.

His government poorly handled the response to the massive earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan. The following nuclear accidents at private utility company TEPCO's nuclear power plant in Fukushima spurred the government to change the course of Japan's energy policy. Reversing the pro-nuclear policy of the previous administrations, Kan's government pushed for a conversion to renewable energy and eventual shut-down of Japan's nuclear plants.[2] Japan's nuclear power plants were completely shut down by May 2012, leaving Japan without nuclear-generated electricity for the first time since 1970.[3] Several of the plants were only brought back online after the DPJ was no longer in government. The LDP government led by Shinzo Abe gradually reopened the nuclear plants, starting with Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kyushu in August 2015. The restart has been slow due to legal challenges and heavy domestic opposition.[4]

Election of the Prime Minister

4 June 2010
House of Representatives
Absolute majority (239/477) required
Choice Vote
Caucuses Votes
checkYNaoto Kan DPJ (309), PNP (3), Independent [Speaker] (1)
313 / 477
Sadakazu Tanigaki LDP (115), Independent [Vice Speaker] (1)
116 / 477
Natsuo Yamaguchi Kōmeitō (21)
21 / 477
Kazuo Shii JCP (9)
9 / 477
Mizuho Fukushima Social Democratic Party of Japan (7)
7 / 477
Yoshimi Watanabe Your Party (5)
5 / 477
Takeo Hiranuma Sunrise Party (3), Hiranuma Group independents (2)
5 / 477
Yōichi Masuzoe Independent (1)
1 / 477
Did not vote Independent (2), DPJ (1)
3 / 480
Source: 174th Diet Session (House of Representatives) (roll call only lists individual votes, not grouped by caucus)
4 June 2010
House of Councillors
Absolute majority (119/237) required
Choice Vote
Caucuses Votes
checkYNaoto Kan DPJーShin-RyokufūkaiーPNP (122), Independent (1)
123 / 237
Sadakazu Tanigaki LDP (68), Independent [Yasuhiro Ōe and Tamon Hasegawa] (2), Independent [Vice President] (1)
71 / 237
Natsuo Yamaguchi Kōmeitō (21)
21 / 237
Kazuo Shii JCP (7)
7 / 237
Mizuho Fukushima Social Democratic Party of Japan (5), Independent (1)
6 / 237
Yōichi Masuzoe New Renaissance Party (6)
6 / 237
Takeo Hiranuma Sunrise Party (2)
2 / 237
Yoshimi Watanabe Independent (1)
1 / 237
Did not vote LDP (2), HRP (1), Independent [President] (1)
4 / 242
Vacant
1 / 242
Source: 174th Diet Session (House of Councillors) (lists individual votes grouped by caucus)

Lists of ministers

  Democratic
  People's New
  Independent
R = Member of the House of Representatives
C = Member of the House of Councillors
N = Non-Diet member
Italics denote acting minister

Cabinet

Kan Cabinet from June 8 to September 17, 2010
Portfolio Minister Term
Prime Minister Naoto Kan R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
Minister of State for Promotion of Local Sovereignty
Kazuhiro Haraguchi R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of Justice Keiko Chiba C → N June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of Foreign Affairs Katsuya Okada R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of Finance Yoshihiko Noda R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
Tatsuo Kawabata R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare
Minister of State for Pension Reform
Akira Nagatsuma R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Masahiko Yamada R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Masayuki Naoshima C June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
Seiji Maehara R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of the Environment Sakihito Ozawa R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of Defence Toshimi Kitazawa C June 8 – September 17, 2010
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission
Minister of State for Disaster Management
Hiroshi Nakai R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of State for Financial Services
Minister of State for Postal Reform
Shizuka Kamei R June 8–11, 2010
Yoshito Sengoku R June 11, 2010
Shōzaburō Jimi C June 11 – September 17, 2010
Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
Satoshi Arai R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate
Minister of State for Gender Equality
Minister of State for the New Public Commons
Koichiro Genba R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of State for Promotion of Local Sovereignty Kazuhiro Haraguchi R June 8 – September 17, 2010
Minister of State for Government Revitalization Renho C June 8 – September 17, 2010

First Reshuffled Cabinet

PM Kan with his reshuffled cabinet inside the Kantei, September 17, 2010.
Kan Cabinet from September 17, 2010, to January 14, 2011
Portfolio Minister Term
Prime Minister Naoto Kan R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
Minister of State for Promotion of Local Sovereignty
Yoshihiro Katayama N September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of Justice Minoru Yanagida C September 17 – November 22, 2010
Yoshito Sengoku R November 22, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of Foreign Affairs Seiji Maehara R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of Finance Yoshihiko Noda R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yoshiaki Takaki R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare
Minister of State for Pension Reform
Ritsuo Hosokawa R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Michihiko Kano R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akihiro Ohata R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
Sumio Mabuchi R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of the Environment
Minister of State for Disaster Management
Ryu Matsumoto R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of Defence Toshimi Kitazawa C September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission
Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety
Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate
Minister of State for Gender Equality
Tomiko Okazaki R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of State for Financial Services
Minister of State for Postal Reform
Shōzaburō Jimi C September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
Banri Kaieda R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of State for the New Public Commons Koichiro Genba R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of State for Government Revitalization Renho C September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011

Second Reshuffled Cabinet

PM Kan with his reshuffled cabinet inside the Kantei, January 14, 2011.
Kan Cabinet from January 14 to September 2, 2011
Portfolio Minister Term
Prime Minister Naoto Kan R January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
Minister of State for Promotion of Local Sovereignty
Yoshihiro Katayama N January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of Justice Satsuki Eda C January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of Foreign Affairs Seiji Maehara R January 14 – March 7, 2011
Yukio Edano R March 7–9, 2011
Takeaki Matsumoto R March 9 – September 2, 2011
Minister of Finance Yoshihiko Noda R January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yoshiaki Takaki R January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare
Minister of State for Pension Reform
Ritsuo Hosokawa R January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Michihiko Kano R January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Banri Kaieda R January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Akihiro Ohata R January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of the Environment Ryu Matsumoto R January 14 – June 27, 2011
Satsuki Eda R June 27 – September 2, 2011
Minister of Defence Toshimi Kitazawa C January 14 – September 2, 2011
Chief Cabinet Secretary
Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
Yukio Edano R January 14 – September 2, 2011
Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission
Minister for the Abduction Issue
Kansei Nakano R January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of State for Disaster Management Ryu Matsumoto R January 14 – July 7, 2011
Tatsuo Hirano C July 7 – September 2, 2011
Minister of State for Financial Services
Minister of State for Postal Reform
Shōzaburō Jimi C January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety Renho C January 14 – June 27, 2011
Goshi Hosono R June 27 – September 2, 2011
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate
Minister of State for Gender Equality
Minister for Total Reform of Social Security and Tax
Kaoru Yosano R January 14 – September 2, 2011
Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
Minister of State for the New Public Commons
Minister for Space Policy
Koichiro Genba R September 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011
Minister of State for Government Revitalization Renho C January 14 – June 27, 2011
Yukio Edano R June 27 – September 2, 2011
Minister of State for the Corporation in Support of Compensation for Nuclear Damage
Minister for Power Saving Promotion
Minister for the Restoration from and Prevention of Nuclear Accident
Goshi Hosono R August 10 – September 2, 2011

References

  1. "Kan elected prime minister". Asahi Shimbun. 4 June 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  2. Yamaguchi, Mari; Foster, Malcolm (17 February 2012). "Ex-PM: Japan was unprepared for nuke crisis". Boston.com. Associated Press.
  3. David Batty (May 5, 2012). "Japan shuts down last working nuclear reactor". The Guardian.
  4. "Governor states firm opposition to Hamaoka plant restart". Asahi Shimbun. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
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