Second Hashimoto Cabinet

The Second Hashimoto Cabinet governed Japan from November 1996 to July 1998 under the leadership of Ryutaro Hashimoto.

Second Hashimoto Cabinet

83rd Cabinet of Japan
Date formedNovember 7, 1996
Date dissolvedJuly 30, 1998
People and organisations
Head of stateEmperor Akihito
Head of governmentRyutaro Hashimoto
Member partyLDP
Status in legislatureMinority government (with SDP and NPS support) (1996-97)
LDP Majority government (1997-98)
Opposition partyNew Frontier Party (1996-97)
Democratic Party (1997-98)
Democratic Party of Japan (1998)
Opposition leaderIchirō Ozawa (1995-97)
Naoto Kan (1997-98)
History
Election(s)1996 general election
1998 councillors election
PredecessorFirst Hashimoto Cabinet
SuccessorObuchi Cabinet

Political background

Hashimoto had become Prime Minister in January 1996 at the head of a three-party coalition, and was returned to office in the general election of November 1996. While the coalition parties (the Liberal Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party and the New Party Sakigake) won a slim majority in the House of Representatives, the SDP and NPS had seen their popularity collapse due to their association with the coalition, and decided to remain outside the government. Therefore, Hashimoto formed a minority, wholly LDP government (the first since 1993) with the promise of SDP and NPS support when he was elected by the National Diet on November 7. He promised to continue his policies of "six great reforms" in the areas of administration, financial markets, education, social security, fiscal policy and economic policy, and appointed several former ministers to cabinet to help achieve this.[1][2][3]

Less than a year into Hashimoto's second term in September 1997, the LDP regained a slim majority in the lower house due to defections from, and eventual break up of the opposition New Frontier Party, although the government maintained its alliance with the SDP and NPS.[4] Several days later, Hashimoto conducted a cabinet reshuffle, which backfired when he was severely criticised for his appointment of Koko Sato, who had been convicted of bribery in relation to the Lockheed Scandal. This criticism forced Sato to resign after only 11 days in office.[5][6] The government was damaged further when Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka resigned in January 1998 because of a corruption scandal that had been uncovered in the Finance Ministry.[7] At the same time, as part of efforts to close the budget deficit, Hashimoto's government raised the consumption tax in 1998, which negatively affected consumer demand and caused a recession at a time of high unemployment.[8]

By 1998 the poor economic situation, the backlash against economic reforms and the cabinet resignations had greatly diminished Hashimoto's popularity. In the 1998 House of Councillor's election, the LDP lost several seats, leaving the government in a minority. Hashimoto immediately resigned and was replaced by Foreign Minister Keizō Obuchi, who took office on July 30, 1998 and inaugurated the Obuchi Cabinet.[9][10]

Election of the Prime Minister
7 November 1996
Absolute majority required
House of Representatives
Choice Runoff Vote
Votes
YRyutaro Hashimoto
262 / 500
Ichirō Ozawa
152 / 500
Others and Abstentions (Including Speaker and Deputy)
86 / 500
Source Diet Minutes - 138th Session

Ministers

  Liberal Democratic
R = Member of the House of Representatives
C = Member of the House of Councillors

Cabinet
Cabinet of Ryutaro Hashimoto from November 7, 1996 to September 11, 1997
Portfolio Minister Term of Office
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto R January 11, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Justice Isao Matsuura C November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yukihiko Ikeda R January 11, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Finance Hiroshi Mitsuzuka R November 7, 1996 - January 28, 1998
Minister of Education Takashi Kosugi R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Health and Welfare Junichiro Koizumi R November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Takao Fujimoto R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of International Trade and Industry Shinji Sato R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Transport Makoto Koga R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Hisao Horinōchi R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Labour Yutaka Okano C November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Construction Shizuka Kamei R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Minister of Home Affairs
Director of the National Public Safety Commission		 Katsuhiko Shirakawa R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama R January 11, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the Management and Coordination Agency Kabun Mutō R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the Hokkaido Development Agency
Director of the Okinawa Development Agency		 Jitsuo Inagaki R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the Japan Defense Agency Fumio Kyūma R November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Economic Planning Agency Tarō Asō R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the Science and Technology Agency Riichiro Chikaoka R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the Environment Agency Michiko Ishii C November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997
Director of the National Land Agency Kosuke Ito R November 7, 1996 - September 11, 1997

Reshuffled Cabinet
Cabinet of Ryutaro Hashimoto from September 11, 1997 to July 30, 1998
Portfolio Minister Term of Office
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto R January 11, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Justice Kokichi Shimoinaba C September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Foreign Affairs Keizō Obuchi R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Finance Hiroshi Mitsuzuka R November 7, 1996 - January 28, 1998
Hikaru Matsunaga R January 30, 1998 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Education Nobutaka Machimura R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Health and Welfare Junichiro Koizumi R November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ihei Ochi R September 11, 1997 - September 25, 1997
Yoshinobu Shimamura R September 26, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of International Trade and Industry Mitsuo Horiuchi R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Transport Takao Fujii R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Shozaburo Jimi R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Labour Bunmei Ibuki R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Construction Tsutomu Kawara R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Minister of Home Affairs
Director of the National Public Safety Commission		 Mitsuhiro Uesugi C September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanezo Muraoka R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Management and Coordination Agency Koko Sato R September 11, 1997 - September 22, 1997
Sadatoshi Ozato R September 22, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Hokkaido Development Agency
Director of the Okinawa Development Agency		 Muneo Suzuki R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Japan Defense Agency Fumio Kyūma R November 7, 1996 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Economic Planning Agency Kōji Omi R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Science and Technology Agency Sadakazu Tanigaki R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the Environment Agency Hiroshi Oki C September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998
Director of the National Land Agency Hisaoki Kamei R September 11, 1997 - July 30, 1998

Changes
  • September 22, 1997 - Director of the Management and Co-Ordination Agency, Koko Sato resigned due to criticism of a previous conviction for bribery in connection with the Lockheed Scandal and was replaced by Sadatoshi Ozato.[11]
  • September 27, 1997 - Agriculture Minister Ihei Ochi resigned after suffering a stroke and was replaced with Yoshinobu Shimamura.[12]
  • January 28, 1998 - Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka resigned to take responsibility for departmental corruption and was replaced with Hikaru Matsunaga.[13]
gollark: It would take much longer to, say, actually write the code.
gollark: The amount of time is probably not significant.
gollark: I mean, important fixed appear to have been delayed until a release...
gollark: It's probably more linked to the ratios.
gollark: The market valuations appear to not reflect trading valuations anyway.

References
  1. Efron, Sonni. "Japan Re-elects Ryutaro Hashimoto To Second Term as Prime Minister". LA Times. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  2. "Profile of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  3. Eur (2002). The Far East and Australasia 2003. Psychology Press. p. 587. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  4. "Ousted ruling party in Japan regains power Liberal Democrats control lower house of legislature after several rivals defect". LA Times. 6 September 1997. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  5. "Hashimoto Names New Cabinet". LA Times. 12 September 1997. Archived from the original on 8 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  6. "WORLD Japanese PM defends 'second chance' for Cabinet former convict Koko Sato". Hurriyet Daily News. Reuters. 13 September 1997. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  7. Wudunn, Sheryl (29 January 1998). "INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS; Japan's Top Finance Bureaucrat Resigns, a Day After His Leader". New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  8. "Economic woes test Hashimoto's political mettle". BBC News. 15 June 1998. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  9. "Hashimoto Resigns as Prime Minister After Japanese Rebuff LDP in Vote". Wall Street Journal. 13 July 1998. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  10. "Markets recover after Hashimoto resigns". BBC News. 14 July 1998. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  11. Sullivan, Kevin (23 September 1997). "Japan Minister Resigns In Wake Of Public Outrage". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  12. "Shimamura replaces ailing Ochi at agriculture helm". The Japan Times. 26 September 1997. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  13. Wudunn, Sheryl (29 January 1998). "INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS; Japan's Top Finance Bureaucrat Resigns, a Day After His Leader". New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)

Lists of Ministers at the Kantei:

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