The Second Abe Cabinet governed Japan under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe from December 2012 to December 2014. Following the return to power of the LDP in the 2012 general election, Abe, as party president, was elected Prime Minister by the National Diet on December 26, 2012, and presented his cabinet for swearing in by the Emperor later that day. Abe formed a coalition with the New Komeito Party, which has partnered with the LDP since the late 1990s, appointing former leader Akihiro Ota as Minister of Land. Together the two parties controlled a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, allowing the new government in most matters to override the veto of the upper house which was controlled by the opposition parties until July 2013.[1][2]
This cabinet was the most stable in post-war Japanese history, with no ministerial changes for 617 days until Abe conducted a reshuffle on September 3, 2014. The core ministers for Finance, Foreign Affairs, Economic Revival, Education, Land and the Chief Cabinet Secretary were all kept in post. In addition, Abe promoted 3 women to cabinet, matching the Koizumi cabinet's record of 5 women ministers.[3]
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minister of State for the Nuclear Damage Compensation Facilitation Corporation Minister in charge of the Response to the Economic Impact caused by the Nuclear Accident Minister in charge of Industrial Competitiveness
Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Minister in charge of the Abduction Issue Minister in charge of Building National Resilience Minister of State for Disaster Management
Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Minister of State for Space Policy Minister in charge of Information Technology Policy Minister in charge of Ocean Policy and Territorial Issues
Minister in charge of Support for Women's Empowerment and Child-Rearing Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate Minister of State for Gender Equality
Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization Minister in charge of Total Reform of Social Security and Tax Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
Minister in charge of Administrative Reform Minister in charge of Civil Service Reform Minister in charge of "Cool Japan" Strategy Minister in charge of "Challenge Again" Initiative Minister of State for Regulatory Reform
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minister in charge of Industrial Competitiveness Minister in charge of the Response to the Economic Impact caused by the Nuclear Accident Minister of State for the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation
Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Minister in charge of the Abduction Issue Minister in charge of Ocean Policy and Territorial Issues Minister in charge of Building National Resilience Minister of State for Disaster Management
Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Minister of State for Space Policy Minister in charge of Information Technology Policy Minister in charge of "Challenge Again" Initiative Minister in charge of "Cool Japan" Strategy
Minister in charge of Support for Women's Empowerment Minister in charge of Administrative Reform Minister in charge of Civil Service Reform Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety Minister of State for Regulatory Reform Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate Minister of State for Gender Equality
Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization Minister in charge of Total Reform of Social Security and Tax Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
October 20 – Justice Minister Midori Matsushima and Economy Minister Yūko Obuchi, both resigned due to campaign finance scandals, and were replaced with Yōko Kamikawa and Yoichi Miyazawa, respectively. This reduced the number of women in cabinet to 4.[6]
